Ace Host Club
by alliasterling
Summary: On his first day at elite private school Gyakuten Academy, Apollo Justice stumbles upon the Ace Host Club, where the hottest boys have gathered to provide entertainment for the ladies. However, the lives of the rich aren't quite as glamorous as they seem... *Spoilers across all games except AAI2* *Ouran Host Club AU*
1. Turnabout Transitions

Disclaimer: Hello! I do not own the Ace Attorney franchise, all rights belong to Capcom.

A/N: I was listening to Tamaki Suoh's character song "Guilty Beauty Love" by Vic Mignona with my sister, and it struck us how suitable it would be for Klavier. I wanted to figure out who else was like the Ouran hosts, but it failed, so I came up with an attempt to combine the plots of both stories, so things will be familiar, but not ^^

Warning: High School Alternate Universe, sheer pessimism and somewhat minor spoilers from AJ

* * *

"Man, you'd think there'd be _somewhere_ quiet to study in a rich private school…" The young man eased the ornate double doors of the library shut again, hiding the throng of chatting rich youths from view. He wandered away in search of a quiet spot, sighing tiredly. There was not a single soul in the academy for him to turn to. He would have gone on to public high school with the rest of his friends, but when a scholarship offer came for the prestigious Gyakuten Academy, it was too much of an opportunity to pass up, and here the teen was, stuck alone in an academy among spoiled rich brats.

"I've heard that they have common rooms with open ceilings on the top floor, so they may be worth checking out," the brunette said to himself, starting up a richly carpeted staircase. He navigated his way to a set of doors labeled "Court Room Three." The young man took a breath, planting his hand on the handle, and pushed.

Bright sunlight from the open roof flooded his vision, and the young man shielded his face with a hand.

"Welcome to the Ace Host Club," came a chorus of voices. Eyes adjusting, the teen realized that there were four boys in the center of the traditional closed courtyard standing around a fifth boy lounging in a plush red chair.

"What the hell…" he grumbled.

The boy on the left with slightly grayed hair and a ruffly kind of neck tie scoffed, saying, "If you hadn't noticed, this person is not a girl." Another guy with brown tufted hair grinned at him wolfishly and asked, "What's wrong, pup? Did you get lost somewhere?" The white boa over his shoulders shook as he threw his head back and cackled.

"Hey, this guy might be the new honors transfer student Maya was telling me about. Huh, I can't remember what his name was, though," mused the guy on the right with hair that was far too spiky to be physically possible. The young man next to him had hair that was even less feasible. He ran a hand through his pure white locks and leveled his odd sunglasses, snorting.

"Get your facts straight, Trite. The new kid's name is Apollo Justice."

"Is that so? I only wish you'd get my name right, too," the spiky 'Mr. Trite' replied dryly.

"Yes, that's me. I'm obviously not supposed to be here, so I'll just be on my way again," Apollo said, hastily backing out the door again.

"Wait," commanded the blond from between them. He rose from the chair and gazed at Apollo with amusement, closing the distance with long strides. He had the strangest hair of all, styled into a sort of drill hanging over his right shoulder. Unease settled over Apollo.

"Herr Justice is our guest. Why don't we give him a warm welcome to the academy, boys?" he stopped a couple of feet from Apollo, eyeing him with mirth. The brunette nearly leapt out of his skin when the much taller blond leaned over the rest of the way to bring them face to face.

"Now, what are we hiding beneath this mop of hair?" he purred, extending a tanned hand to gently sweep the other man's bangs aside. "My, my, what a large forehead you have," he remarked, poking Apollo's brow with a long finger.

Apollo's face reddened furiously, and he darted out of reach. Vaguely, stifled sniggers reached his blushing ears from behind the maniacal homosexual blond molester. Just what kind of place had Apollo gotten himself into?

"Aww, look, he's shy," cooed the tall pursuer. "Are you alright, Herr Forehead?"

"I-I'm fine!" Apollo blurted, backing away in panic. Finally he snapped into action, turning and bolting from the dreaded Court Room Three to safety, chased by the raucous laughter of the Ace Host Club. As far as he was concerned, he would never return to that room again.

-AHC-

The next day at school, Apollo managed to gain more unwanted attention, and lots of it. As soon as he stepped in the doorway of his classroom, a bunch of girls turned to peer at him and giggled. How dismaying. Apollo marched past the rows of girls surreptitiously looking at him and took a seat in the back, where he hoped would diminish stares during the lesson.

"Heya! You must be Apollo," greeted a spunky girl with long black hair. "My name is Maya Fey. Nice to meet you!" She dropped onto the seat next to his and grinned widely at him.

"Hello, Maya, nice to meet you too," he answered cautiously. How had he become so well known by his second day? Nobody had cared all that much when he had to introduce himself in front of the class yesterday, after they all took in his carelessly drab appearance.

"Got any questions, you just come to me, and I'll help ya," she told him, elbowing him roughly and winking mischievously.

"Um, thanks, I guess?"

"By the way..." Maya added, feigning casualness and sidling closer, "Nick told me that you're, you know, gay. Is that true?" Apollo turned to look at her sharply. Maya was much too excited while bringing up a complete stranger's orientation. Did rich kids know no dignity?

"Where did you hear that?" he questioned, voice dead flat.

"My best friend Nick told me that you, the new transfer student, went to the Ace Host Club yesterday and got all worked up when Klavier Gavin tried to charm you. So is it true? We're all just _dying_ to know here," she explained. Apollo glanced around and caught several girls trying to listen in. They blushed, turning back around in their seats.

"No, it is completely untrue. I am not gay, and that is how I'd react if anyone intruded into my personal space," he stated, doing his best to start dispelling the rumor. He might need to find himself a girlfriend if it didn't tide over, and fast.

"Aw, how boring," Maya pouted. But a crafty expression crossed her face, and a chill ran down the young man's spine. "Did Klavier go like this?" She put her face almost on top of Apollo's, and he squawked, falling backwards and onto the floor. Maya laughed uncontrollably as she pulled the hapless young man back up. "We are going to be great friends, Polly." Apollo groaned in pain and in annoyance at the nickname she had decided for him.

The doors of Court Room Three slammed open, and Apollo Justice stormed inside, past the tables where the hosts were sitting with various female guests.

"Which one of you is Nick?" he demanded. The spiky-haired youth stood up smoothly from a corner table and brushed off the front of his crimson blazer.

"That'd be me. Normally, we'd require you to sign up for an appointment, but I'm at your service," he smirked at Apollo, lazily stepping around the sofa to meet him in the center of the yard. "What's the matter, kid? Shall we take this somewhere more private?" Apollo took a deep breath and met Nick's calm gaze.

"Yesterday, you said something completely untrue about me. You told people that I am- that I'm gay, and it isn't true. Take it back."

"Is that the problem?" Nick asked wryly. The whispering around them grew. "There is one contradiction in your statement." The raven haired teen smirked lazily, like a contented cat.

"Wh-what do you mean?" Apollo asked.

"I never once said anything that wasn't true. Yes, I did relate the tales from yesterday to my friend Maya, but at no time did I ever say that about you," Nick gazed down at him with taunting dark eyes.

"Why you... You certainly implied it, you dirty-"

THWACK

"I-I hit him..." Apollo whispered, staring shocked at his hand and then the older teen, whose head was still turned away from the force of the blow.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so s-" a large hand gently clapped down on Apollo's shoulder. Klavier glanced at Apollo and looked at his friend, saying, "That's enough."

Nick looked up and laughed. "I would have yelled 'Take that!' It adds a bit more of a punch." his eyes gleamed, and a smile threatened to break through as Nick tried to keep a stern face. The other three hosts began laughing and defused the situation, allowing Klavier to lead Apollo away to the side as the guests returned to their activities. Nick's guests fussed over his face, admiring his bravery for taking such a hit.

"My Herr Forehead, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you had it in you, after the way you ran off yesterday. The way you stood up for yourself against Phoenix was wunderbar!" they stopped under the roof meant to shield the perimeter of the yard from rain. Klavier placed both hands on Apollo's shoulders and looked at him with gentle blue eyes. "Do not hold it against him, though. He has turned wily with age, but he means no harm. Given time, the rumors will fade, and all of this will pass." Apollo was still suspicious of them all, but calmed down a bit. That was, until Klavier began fidgeting with his clothes.

"What's with this outfit?" Apollo protested as the taller man tugged at his faded burgundy sweater vest. "It's heavily patched, no?" Apollo's pants were patched too, but it saved a lot of money to wear things until they fell apart, and he couldn't afford to get new clothes all that often. "What can we do about this mess on your head, as well?" Oh. That. It had been a while since his last trim. He let Trucy have a go at it once, but afterwards he resolved never to let her near his hair again.

"Apollo, answer me honestly," Klavier urged him softly, "Why are you dressed in rags? Don't you have a school uniform?" Apollo averted his eyes. He didn't want to tell this irresponsible rich kid, but he did.

"I can't afford one... What can I say? I've run hard on cash," he stated despondently.

"Oh..." Klavier clicked his tongue, and Apollo could just see the question of 'how?' forming on his lips. But Klavier rebounded, snapping his fingers and looking mightily proud of himself. "I've got it! This club employs a variety of people for different tasks. You, my finely proportioned-forehead friend, will work for us. No buts."

"What? This is completely ridiculous!" he yelled.

"Don't worry, Forehead, we'll pay you for your services," Klavier called, strolling away. "Now go fetch us some tea and sugar. We're a bit low on supplies."

"Oh! Why that- Gah!" Apollo rushed off to the store, not willing to lose a source of income, however troublesome.

-AHC-

"Hey, Herr Forehead, you're back! Do you have the tea I asked for?" greeted Klavier.

"Yeah, yeah," Apollo muttered, handing a box of tea bags to the blond.

"Hm, I've never had tea from this company before," Klavier mused, shaking the box and looking it up and down. He opened it up and gasped, pulling out a paper packet. "How interesting, they've already sorted the tea out into appropriate amounts." Klavier chucked the box back in Apollo's general direction and tore open the packet, prepared to pour tea leaves into the tea pot on the table.

The tea bag fell out with a plop.

"Wh- Apollo, why do they have a bag within a bag for the tea? How does this work?" the boy held the pot up to see inside as the girls at his table oohed and aahed.

"It's a teabag. Actual tea leaves are pricey, you know," Apollo explained sardonically.

"Oh, I see. It's poor people's tea. How clever," he purred. Apollo just knew the older student was covering up his ignorance. The girls chatted amongst themselves about how they had never had 'commoners' tea' before. Unbelievable.

Seeing a way to impress them, Klavier proclaimed, "Alright, I will drink this tea." He earned himself a round of applause for his daring. "Herr Justice, prepare this tea for me." Apollo was almost surprised that Klavier didn't do it for himself, but he set to it with minimal grumbling.

Apollo fished the teabag from the pot and properly placed it in a cup. He filled it with hot water, and after the tea had set, he handed the cup to Klavier, who took it with a show of trepidation. The blond took a quick sip, pinky up.

"It's… it's…" All of the girls crowded around Klavier, clamoring for his verdict. "It's rather bland, actually…" Apollo groaned inwardly as the girls praised Klavier for bravely tasting the 'bland commoners' tea.' Picky drama queen.

The strong, rich aroma of coffee wafted around them just then, and Apollo looked up to see the white-haired guy looming over their shoulders.

"So the little kitten has wandered into a den of beasts. What's going on here, Pollywog?" Apollo tried to see who this stranger was talking to, but his head was pointed decidedly in Apollo's direction. Uh oh.

"I bought tea that Mr. Gavin asked me to get," he replied.

"Did you get anything else, Pollywog?" the white-haired man asked.

"Just some sugar."

"What! Baby Grand, why didn't you ask the chore boy to get coffee?" he demanded, glaring at Klavier. Well, Apollo assumed it was a glare, as he couldn't really see the guy's eyes. He was really into strange nicknames, wasn't he?

"Hmph, that's because coffee consumption is the highest at _your_ table. You're always running out because you drink more than is physically possible for mortal beings, _Godot_," Klavier accused darkly.

"Huh, think of coffee as water for me," Godot replied, shrugging carelessly.

"Achtung, you drink more coffee than most people drink water!"

"Whatever. Pollywog! Get me coffee, quick!" Godot ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Apollo couldn't help but salute and run out the door.

* * *

A/N: I decided that since Apollo is the starting character, it would be better to portray Phoenix more like how he was in the fourth game, but don't worry, it'll be more like a front he puts up to people who aren't THAT close to him ^^


	2. Turnabout Transitions 2

Disclaimer: Ace Attorney franchise belongs to Capcom, and oops last time I forgot to say that Ouran belongs to Bisco Hatori ^^'

A/N: Lol, this chapter is more sizeable than the first...  
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, added, and read! I didn't expect my humble story to get such a warm reception... Thank you *heart*

Warning: general craziness, snarking, and hopefully minimal OOCness...  
and... Polly, I'm so sorry for messing with your appearance... X_X

* * *

Apollo tiredly swung open the door to his house.

"Welcome back, stranger," chirped the short brunette girl who popped in front of him out of nowhere.

"Hi Trucy, how was your day?" he asked his sister, sluggishly ruffling her hair.

"I had a fantastic day at school today. Molly told me a funny story about the gym teacher, Mr. Powers. Basically…" Apollo partially droned out Trucy's gossip stories and went about unpacking his stuff and making dinner.

"So, Polly, what happened to you today?" His cue to talk. He flipped the stir fry and gathered his thoughts.

"I got a job in school in their student host club. I also got a hold of their leftover snacks, which you can have after dinner," he told her, spying his mischievous sister reaching for the plastic bag on the table.

"Ooh, so pretty ladies are paying you to flirt with them? I had no idea you were so popular with girls, Polly."

"Naw, nothing like that. I just run errands for the rich bratty hosts, that's all," Apollo corrected her.

"Aww, and here I thought my brother had finally grown up!" she pouted.

"Hey, you're still in middle school, so no backtalk," he scolded, brandishing the spatula at her. "Now get the plates out and set the table."

Over dinner, Trucy continued to chat, and Apollo continued to listen.

"Oh, before I forget, I got a present from Amy for you, you know, my friend who's always had a crush on you?" Trucy remarked with her mouth full.

"Oh, that's right. What is it?" Apollo asked after swallowing. His sister fished a small package out of her pocket. She moved to affix something to the side of his head.

"Cute hair clips, Polly! I'm jealous, I wish I had a blue pair of them. Then we'd match!" she held out a compact mirror for him to see. Not even God knows why this random girl has one, as Apollo forbade her from wearing makeup.

Two fairly sized, bright red clips held his bangs swept off to the side. He reached up to touch them, then take them off. Just what was it that made Amy think hairclips would make a good present for a guy? Trucy slapped his hand away.

"Polly, how could you? These are the heartfelt presents of a lady! You can't just reject them," she cried dramatically.

"Trucy, everyone is going to think I'm gay if they see me wearing stuff in my hair," he retorted.

"Well I don't think so. I think they look great on you. At least promise me to wear them for one day, or else I'll tell Amy that you didn't like her graduation present," she threatened.

"Gah! Fine, okay! You win, I'll wear them tomorrow." When Trucy cheered, he yelled at her to finish her dinner.

-AHC-

The next day at school, Apollo drew a crowd of girls once again.

"Mr. Justice, is that you?" "Aww, he looks so cute!" "Where did you get these hairclips, Mr. Justice?"

"I, ah, they're a present from a girl, one of my sister's friends," he answered nervously, rubbing the clips self-consciously.

"Oh, that's so sweet!" "How gentlemanly." "Ah, it makes me want to give him a cute accessory too!"

"Uh, ah, thanks Ladies?" he answered, in the best way he could think of. He could just hear Trucy in his head telling him to speak up. Maya pushed her way to the front and looked at Apollo.

"Wow, Polly, Nick told us all not to assume you were gay anymore, but this is definitely making us suspicious again," she remarked. Other girls giggled. Well, at the very least Phoenix was an honorable guy, but here he was again. Why couldn't people just leave him in peace?

"Come with me, there's people I want you to meet," Maya said, looping her arm under his and steering him away to a bunch of desks.

"This is my cute little cousin, Pearl Fey. She's a prodigy, so she's only 12," she gushed, pointing to a girl with short hair tied into butterfly loops.

"And this is Kay Farady, your modern day Robin Hood," she proclaimed, at another girl with catty eyes and a giant key ornament stuck in her hair.

"Hello, I'm the transfer student, Apollo Justice."

"Nice to meet ya. So, Polly, I heard that you're part of the famed Ace Host Club now. What's it like?" asked Kay, who blatantly ignored his name introduction. Looks like Maya got to them first.

"Ahaha, not as glamorous as you'd think. I just run around and do chores," Apollo answered frankly.

"What, really? I'm gonna get Nick to pull some strings for you. With the way you attract girls in here, they'd be letting your talent go to waste!" Maya declared.

"Err, that's alright. I'm not so sure Mr. Wright would be that willing to help me out, and I'd rather do without the extra attention anyway," Apollo told her hastily, rubbing his hair as his face colored from the memory of yesterday.

"Really, Polly, don't worry so much. He forgives you for punching him yesterday," Maya reassured him confidently with a decisive nod.

"Mr. Polly! You hit Mr. Nick?" Pearl gasped and rolled up her sleeve, glaring at Apollo.

"P-Pearly, it's alright! Guys hit their guy-friends all the time, so it's totally normal, okay?" Maya hurriedly stopped Pearl from trying to slap Apollo. He didn't think that was necessarily true among guys, but alright.

"Sorry, Mr. Polly," Pearl apologized. "I heard your story about wearing those hair clips because they were a present from your special someone. That's so romantic," she gushed, looking at him admiringly. Oh, how he feared telling her the actual truth behind it.

Later, after school at the club, Apollo entered the doors to Court Room Three announcing his arrival.

"How lovely of you to grace us with this visit, mein lovely Fraul-" Klavier had clasped his hand and began crooning to him before realizing who it was. "Herr Forehead, you did not tell me how, how _cute_ you absolutely you are! Oh~" Klavier might have fainted straight away if not for Apollo's sharp comment of "I'm not a girl, Mr. Gavin."

Klavier turned the shorter student's chin about, examining every angle. "Boys, what do you make of this? Do we have ourselves a natural rising star here?" The other hosts gathered around with appraising looks.

"What makes you think Pollywog has what it takes to be one of us, Baby Grand?" asked Godot.

"Hey, I think it'd be fun to see how this pup fares," supported the wolfish character. It seemed like anything could amuse him.

"Phoenix Wright, how about you? What do you say?" commanded their leader. Phoenix's face remained dark.

"I don't know, I don't see anything special about him." Apollo's face fell, until he heard "In that case, I say we give him a chance. If he passes, then he will remain a host." It was the graying host, staring at him decisively.

"Alright! We have a vote of 3 to 2. Now let's get ready to rock! Godot, call my hairstylist. Lang, have your secretary arrange for a new uniform," Klavier ordered.

"Whoa, wait, I didn't get to vote!" Apollo cried as he got dragged off to an area secluded by curtains.

-AHC-

The five hosts had all assembled outside of the changing room when Apollo drew back the curtain and stepped out into the sunlight.

"Well, well," Phoenix laughed knowingly. Klavier gasped and kneeled, holding a mirror before Apollo.

"May I present the sixth member of our host club, Apollo Justice," he announced reverently. Apollo hesitantly peered into the glass. He gasped sharply at his transformed appearance. "Is- is this really me?" he asked, reaching towards the mirror's surface.

"Yes, Herr Justice, does it feel like you've stepped into your very own fairytale?" Klavier whispered.

"It's surreal, alright. What did you do to my hair?" Klavier turned as white as a sheet with shock, stuttering incoherently. Apollo pulled on the two strips of hair pointing straight up into the sky. The rest of his hair had been slicked back neatly, and his hair clips settled snugly in their place on his left. "It's like I've got antennae now."

"Ja, super cute, right?" Klavier agreed, playfully tugging on them after a speedy recovery.

"Hey, keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Gavin!" Apollo scolded, smacking the fingers away from his hair. He continued to look over his appearance in the mirror. Lang's secretary had stolen his clothes and replaced them with a crisp, personally tailored (how had they gotten his measurements) dark red Gyakuten Academy blazer and black trousers. His shoes and socks had been replaced too, and it was nice to finally own a pair of socks that didn't have any holes in them again.

"Not bad. At least I get a nice uniform without having to pay," Apollo remarked contentedly.

"Ah ah ah," Klavier sang, shaking his finger in a reprimanding manner. "That'll be coming straight out of your paycheck."

"What! You could have told me that before you forced me into one, you jerk!" Apollo screeched. Klavier held a hand over an ear. Despite being used to loud rock music, the kid could pack a surprise punch in his voice when he wanted to.

"At least you get to have this uniform for 15% off, Herr Apollo," he reassured. "Great deal, ja?"

"It's still so expensive, though… can't I return it at no cost?" Apollo asked, picking the buttons from the buttonholes.

"Really, don't worry about it, Forehead, now that you're a host, you'll be receiving a much higher salary, because your usefulness has increased tenfold."

"Wow, no appreciation for the people behind your steady supply of luxury. No surprise there," Apollo muttered sarcastically. "So what happens now?"

"As the rookie host, you'll observe the rest of us to get an idea first, before we let you take on any clients," Phoenix explained. "We'll leave you with Shih-na if you have any further questions. For now, appointments are about to begin." With that, the five older hosts left to greet the guests at the door. Apollo turned to the secretary. She was also a student here, but she looked decidedly out of place with her futuristic pale blond bowl cut and red irises.

"Well, Mr. Justice, do you have anything to ask?" she asked quietly, almost impatiently. She didn't seem to like talking very much.

"Uh, yes, I'm afraid I still haven't caught on to how things work around here. Do girls just pick whoever they want to sit with?"

"Yes, and no. In order to maintain a pleasant, private atmosphere and fair chance, clients arrange appointments with the host of their choice," she explained efficiently.

"Here is 2nd year Miles Edgeworth, the 'Sophisticated' type," she said, pointing at the host with slightly grayed hair. He really looked very posh wearing a fancy neck tie, rather than the standard black tie everyone else wore. In conversation, Edgeworth replied to the girls at his table in a refined and careful manner. Even his pinky was gracefully lifted as he quietly sipped his tea.

"On the other hand we have 2nd year Phoenix Wright, the 'Laid-Back' type." Phoenix was laughing easily at the stories being told by a guest at his table. His posture was relaxed, and he let things come and go, never quick to jump to conclusions. He glanced up at the secretary and rookie host, smirking and lazily waving.

"That is 3rd year Lang Shi-Long, the 'Alpha Dog' type." Lang looked very cool, radiating a powerful aura and obviously in control. Today he wore a black leather jacket with golden dragons spiraling around its sleeves and a white fur lining around the front and collar.

"3rd year Godot is over there, the 'Badass' type." Godot looked every bit like a rich punk, with white hair, tanned skin, unshaved chin, radical shades, and piercings in one ear. He held a white mug of steaming hot coffee and occasionally gulped from it while telling the girls about certain feats he had pulled off while fighting off various rivals. Who knew rich kids also got into fist fights?

"What about Mr. Gavin? What type is he?" Apollo asked. The other four hosts had such odd 'types' that he was a bit afraid to know what crazy title the vain fop had concocted for himself.

"2nd year Klavier Gavin is the 'God of Rock' type, and the host club's prince."

"God of Rock? More like god awful, if you ask me," Apollo groaned. Shih-na was not amused by his joke. "Um, well, right. I think I might as well give hosting a go now." Apollo was escorted to a small table to one side of the court, and two guests were invited to sit with the new host.

"So Mr. Justice, what are your hobbies?" a girl with a ponytail asked him.

"Well..." he stalled, trying to think of the right thing to say. "Admittedly, I like to do some voice training in my free time. You see, my mother was a singer, and when I was little, we'd do vocal exercises together. Of course, I can't sing, and all I did was shout at the top of my lungs, but we had a lot of fun together. So even though she's passed on, I still voice train on my own to remember her." An absent look of yearning settled in his eyes, and he blushed faintly, talking about one of his fondest memories.

"Oh wow, Mr. Justice..." the girls sighed, moved by his story and his longing for his mother. Klavier and his guests in turn were also listening.

"Who knew the little Forehead would turn out to be so adorable?" he sighed as well.

"Mr. Justice, how about an example of your voice training? Pretty please?" the girl with short hair asked sweetly. Apollo blushed even more, flicking his antennae hairs sheepishly.

"Ah, I'm not so sure that that's such a great idea. I'd probably disturb the rest of the guests," he tried. He was even reluctant to do voice training with Trucy in the house.

"No please, go on and don't worry about it, we'll cover for you if they mind," the girl with the ponytail urged.

"Well if you insist," Apollo relented. He sipped some of the tea that had been set out for him and cleared his throat. "HERE COMES JUSTICE" The girls seemed a bit shocked, but they politely applauded and commented on what a strong pair of lungs he had.

"Ahahaha! Herr Forehead is quickly proving himself to be more than meets the eye, like a little Transformer. He even has lungs made of metal, I see," Klavier exclaimed, appearing behind the brunette and planting a hand on his head. Apollo grabbed at the offending hand, trying to shake the taller man loose.

"Mr. Gavin, quit it! I'm kinda _busy _over here," he grumbled.

"Hm? Who's making some noise over here? Yo Gavin! This kid a groupie of yours?" Apollo froze. A new voice laced with malice curled behind him threateningly. He turned to see probably the most horrific pompadour since the 50's.

"Daryan!" Klavier straightened up to greet this newcomer, throwing his arm over the other student's shoulders. The two were very tall and imposing together. Daryan's horrific hair extended into a long black pompadour with a white tip, and the rest of his hair extended almost to his waist in the back. Apollo shivered involuntarily at Daryan's toothy grin.

"Daryan, you've come just in time to witness the debut of our newest host, Apollo Justice," Klavier explained. He was already showing Apollo off, and it bothered him just a bit. "Herr Apollo, this is my best friend Daryan Crescend. We've been rocking together since Junior High, so achtung!"

"Oh I see..." Apollo supposed that explained things. This guy was even more of a punk than Godot was, really.

"Um, it's nice to meet you, Daryan," Apollo greeted amiably. He extended his hand to shake the taller man's, and Daryan caught it in a death grip, yanking Apollo's entire arm up and down.

"Likewise, punk." Well, pot called the (not really) kettle black.

Apollo was relieved when the two returned to Klavier's table. He shook out his wrist and glared in puzzled anger.

"Mr. Justice, are you alright? Let me massage your hand for you," one girl offered.

"Thank you, Anastasia," Apollo replied gratefully, letting the girl with the ponytail take his hand. "Is Daryan usually like that?" The girls exchanged glances.

"Yes, he is… To be honest, Mr. Crescend scares us all, but he's Klavier's best friend, so none of us dare to say anything, because we don't want to hurt Klavier's feelings," Trianna explained in a hushed voice.

"Is that right… I'll have a word with Mr. Gavin later, on your behalf. You two are both very kind, so I want to help you, and I'm not afraid of anyone."

-AHC-

"Congrats, Shih-na has put you on the official roster of hosts in the appointment book, and you've already landed another client." Phoenix Wright barred Apollo's path. Club activities had ended, and Apollo had intended to go straight to Klavier.

"Thanks, Mr. Wright, now I'm one customer out of the red, aren't I?" Apollo sighed. To his surprise, Phoenix's tight smile wrenched into a frown, but only for a fraction of a second. Then the sly smile was back.

"You're off to a great start, Rookie. How do you feel about your getting your first request? Excited?" he asked.

"Um, actually I feel kinda nervous, but I'm fine, really!" Apollo admitted, trying to walk around the older host. Phoenix noticed him trying to escape, so he draped his arm over the boy's shoulders and steered him out the door.

"Back in the day, when I first started hosting, I nearly forgot what my first client's name was," Phoenix reminisced, chuckling lightly.

"Um, that's great and all, Mr. Wright, but I have to go talk to Mr. Gavin about something important," Apollo tried to interrupt, but he was ignored by the rambling host.

"Come to think of it, what _was _her name? Something like Cinder Block, I think? Nah, that can't be it," Phoenix muttered to himself. "In any case, Apollo, I remember the name of _your _client for tomorrow. Alita Tiala. Keep your eyes peeled, Rookie." Apollo's attention sharply returned when he heard his name being mentioned.

"Keep my eyes peeled? Why?" he questioned the enigmatic man.

"Oh, you know, a true host always pays full attention to both his clients and surroundings," Phoenix answered. Somehow Apollo had the feeling that there was more that remained unspoken.

"Anyway, good luck tomorrow," Phoenix called, letting go of the shorter host and walking ahead. He turned back one last time to say, "You can do it. Be confident."

"Well, um okay, that was informative I guess…" Apollo muttered. Now he could get to Klavier. Hopefully the head host would still be there once Apollo got back. He turned and retraced his steps as quickly as he could.

By the time he pushed open the doors, Court Room Three was deserted.

"Drat," he swore, leaning back on the door frame. "Well that was an odd day."

Apollo shrugged. He hurried out of the building and made his way home on foot, focusing on getting back and making early dinner so Trucy could catch her afternoon show. He didn't really approve of her working in a bar, but Trucy's magic show was popular, so it was a good source of money. If only there were better venues.

When Apollo opened the door to his house, a loud shriek pierced his ears.

"Wh-who are you?! Stranger in the house! Leave, or I'll call the police!" Trucy screamed in his face.

"Truce, calm down, it's only me, Apollo," he soothed, holding his hands out before him in an assuaging manner. Trucy peeked at him from through her fingers.

"Polly? What did you do to your hair and clothes? I could hardly recognize you back there," she said, finally grinning. Predictably, she tugged at Apollo's hair and straightened his uniform jacket.

"Aha, the host club promoted me to host status, thanks to these hair clips, and so they attacked my hair…" he explained balefully. He absolutely hated when anyone messed with his hair without permission. But he could get used to this wacky hairstyle, perhaps.

"Hooray! Polly's a full fledged host now! Isn't that wonderful, Mr. Hat?" with a whirl, swish, and a click, a life sized puppet sprouted from a pack on the back of Trucy's magician outfit and swept Trucy's hat onto its own head with its single gloved hand.

"That is mahvelous news, Dahling," it intoned with its gravely voice and clacking jaw. Mr. Hat was a convenient way to temporarily fool people into thinking they still had a dad around, but Apollo was getting a little worried about how often Trucy talked to the thing as if it were real.

"Thanks, Mr. Hat," he thanked anyway. "What do you guys want for dinner tonight?"

"Macaroni and cheese, please!" Trucy cheered, throwing a fist in the air. Mr. Hat followed suit with his one arm. Good, at least dinner would be easy tonight.

* * *

A/N: Originally, I intended to introduce Trucy in a (much) later house call from the host club, but it didn't work out, because I love her so much! She and Apollo make a great team anyway ;D Lol, I really like portraying Apollo as the fussy overprotective brother, anyway~ Gosh, I hope they find out they're siblings in GS5 DX


	3. Turnabout Transitions 3

**Disclaimer**: Ace Attorney belongs to Capcom and Ouran Host Club belongs to Hatori Bisco

**A/N**: man, this segment was so hard to write... I made many changes for things to make sense, so I hope I didn't forget to fix anything in there... so much working things around to get them to make sense ^^'

Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and/or added! :3

**Warning**: many AJ spoilers and lotsss of artistic license... lol. After all, wouldn't things get dry if I didn't throw a new spin on them? ;D

* * *

"So, Mr. Justice, I hear you're the recent addition to the host club?" Miss Tiala conversed, delicately gazing into her tea as she stirred the beverage. "How do you find it so far?"

"It's nice, I think. It's relaxing, taking time out to sit with pleasant ladies, like you for instance," Apollo replied bashfully. His cheeks colored slightly. Miss Alita Tiala had a sweet and quiet disposition that was honestly a nice change from the hyper and bossy behavior of girls like Trucy, Maya, and Kay.

"Oh you charmer," she sang, weaving her fingers together and propping her chin up on them, while her face was lit up with an angelic smile.

"Um, err, just stating the facts, Miss Tiala," Apollo squeaked, grinning awkwardly and blushing hotly.

"But that _is_ your job, isn't it? Entertain me, Mr. Justice, tell me something interesting about yourself," Alita insisted. Apollo leaned back on the sofa, looking at his hands.

"Well… there's nothing really special about me, really. My sister tells me I'm such a dull person every day," he admitted with a laugh. "Trucy on the other hand, has to be one of the most exciting people in my life. She is a talented magician, already doing her own shows. They're on small stages, but I'm proud to say that she knows how to draw a crowd," he told Alita, grinning to himself.

"Well aren't you a modest one? I'd love to meet your sister someday, does she come to this school?" Alita asked.

"Ah, no. She goes to Gyakuten Junior High. You see, I transferred over to this school just this year," Apollo explained. Alita raised her delicately formed eyebrow at him.

"I see, what kind of family do you come from, Mr. Justice?" Apollo winced a bit. He really hoped no one would investigate his background too much.

"Practically everyone in my family was in show business, actually. I seem to be the only one without any talent, haha," he admitted. Alita seemed to catch onto something that didn't bode well with her.

"What do you mean by 'was'?" she asked, but before Apollo had to give an answer, he was interrupted by a loud slam and shout from the door.

"You! Stay away from Alita!" a boy raced into the club room, yelling obscenities and headed straight towards Apollo's table.

"Excuse me, sir, I'm just in the middle of an appointment with her. What did I do wrong?" Apollo stated. He stood up in complete surprise and stared wide-eyed back at the advancing teen. Apollo was shocked partly by the hostile unannounced guest and by his strange choice of dress. The boy wore a shiny pink and yellow motorcycle jacket instead of the school uniform jacket, and a Bad Badger leered at him from the boy's shirt. The fox-ear hair failed to faze Apollo due to exposure to decidedly stranger styles.

"You must be some O.G.," he yelled, grabbing Apollo by the lapels, "to take a shot at stealing my fiancée. I'mma bust a cap in you for that, bizzoy!" Apollo tried to loosen the other boy's grip on him, wincing from the volume of the shouts.

"F-fiancée? W-what's an O.G.?" Apollo stuttered.

"Wocky! Stop it, leave him alone!" Alita screamed. The assailant dropped Apollo and shoved him away.

"Don't worry, Alita-baby, I'll protect you from this horned demon," Wocky called cockily, throwing an arm out to fend for her.

"Hey, it's not like I chose this ridiculous hairstyle," Apollo yelled back indignantly, bunching up his fists. Klavier had just come up to break up the fight, and he caught Apollo's last comment.

"Herr Forehead! What is the meaning of this? I picked out that cut because it's the latest in fashion, and I thought it'd look cute on you," he whined in a hurt voice.

"Ugh, that is the least of my problems right now. Mr. Wocky, what makes you think I was trying to steal your fiancée?" Apollo ranted. He was at the end of his fuse and didn't care whose nerves he rattled.

"Wocky, please, just go home!" urged Alita, tugging on the boy's arm.

"I ain't about to go nowhere. I've got _proof _that Apollo Justice over here has been sending secret love letters to my Alita!" Wocky crowed, whipping out a piece of stationery. Klavier snagged it and read the note aloud.

"Alita my angel, meet me at the Ace Host Club for a romantic rendezvous. –The Youngest and Brightest of Hosts? Herr Apollo, what is the meaning of this?" the two hosts looked at each other in shock.

"B-but I've never even met Miss Tiala until today just now," Apollo said defensively.

"Well the proof is in da pudding, so your days are numbered, yo!" Wocky called. "Expect a house call from the Kitaki family in the near future!"

"K_-Kitaki family_?" the youngest host quailed.

"That _is _an admittedly large gang around this area," Phoenix agreed solemnly, attracted by the noise. "Looks like you've dug yourself in deep on your first appointment, Rookie," he joked.

"This is completely unfunny, Mr. Wright, and I didn't write that note!" Apollo yelled, utilizing his Chords of Steel and stamping his foot.

"No pun intended, I'm sure, but I can at least prove that the note isn't yours," Phoenix consoled him. He produced an identical page of stationery, decorated with playing card symbols and the same handwriting. "Mr. Crescend, I'm sure you have a convenient explanation for this beyond sheer coincidence," the host called out.

"What did you say…?" Daryan snarled dangerously, rising from his spectator seat with slow deliberation. "I don't have anything to do with the mess of a gangster family and your overly ambitious newbie host."

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Phoenix drawled as Wocky snatched the second note from his hand.

"Proceed with the host club sabotage this Thursday, new host. – The Hammerhead Shark," Wocky read. Phoenix tapped his chin and rhetorically asked, "Now I wonder who that could be?"

"This- Please tell me this is a joke, Herr Wright," Klavier hissed, grasping the sides of his head. Klavier slowly dropped his hands from his head and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Herr Wright, but you must be mistaken," he objected quietly, looking down at the table his hands were braced on. "It's highly unlikely that he is the culprit. He has never been in the same class with Wocky or Alita, and he would never- there's just no reason that he would try to bring down the host club," Klavier declared, clenching his fists.

"That may be how it looks, but we also have these suspicious notes staring us in the face," Pheonix reminded. Klavier reluctantly took the second note from Wocky and looked at it sadly.

"Daryan, why is this the exact kind of note paper you use? The handwriting is yours too, I'd recognize it anywhere…" he pointed out bleakly. Daryan glowered at them all.

"I thought you'd have more faith in me. Look, a few days ago, I lent my notes to that _Phoenix Wright_! He must have stolen a note and copied my writing to _forge_ a piece of evidence. Some best friend you are, choosing to believe someone you've only known for half a year over _me_, '_partner_'," Daryan sneered. Klavier didn't say anything in reply, but looked emptily at everyone. No matter who was right, he was going to be betrayed by one of his friends.

"Don't accuse me of lying," Phoenix hissed through his teeth. Apollo reached around Phoenix between the death stare match between him and Daryan to slip the note from Klavier's loose fingers.

"Hey… hasn't anyone noticed that _yesterday _was Thursday? The day on this note is wrong," he pointed out.

"Yeah, that's right. Actually, Apollo, I wasn't keen on you joining because I thought someone wanted to use you to get at me," Phoenix admitted candidly. Apollo gawked at him angrily until the older host told him, "After the day passed, I realized that the real plot was only just beginning to rear its ugly head, and that you would have unwittingly become its target instead. That's why I took you aside to give you a warning, so you should be thanking me." He grinned at the indignant Apollo.

"Wait, wait, wait, why did you think I was going to do something to you?" Apollo demanded.

"I told you, I was the new host before you, and this note had been written well before you became a host," Phoenix shrugged. Apollo nodded and turned to Klavier seriously.

"Mr. Gavin, I think I can see what happened. Mr. Crescend and Ms. Tiala plotted to frame Phoenix for fiancée snatching, but two things went wrong. After Daryan wrote the note to coordinate details with Ms. Tiala, he accidentally left it in the notebook he lent to Mr. Wright, instead of getting it to her. She ended up missing the original appointed day, so Mr. Crescend changed the date to today, after I had unexpectedly become the 'new host' instead." Klavier's morose blue eyes never wavered from Apollo's determined stare once during the explanation.

As unbelievable as the entire tale sounded, it felt like he saw the truth reflected in Apollo's eyes as the boy stared it down. Little by little, it all started to… make sense.

"Nein…" he whispered, closing his eyes, "I just can't believe it…" Klavier looked away, afraid of where this 'truth' was taking him.

"Ahaha, no one possibly could! That was the biggest, fattest lie I've ever heard," Daryan snarled at them. His hair swung obnoxiously close to Phoenix and Apollo as he accused them in turn. "It's much more likely that Phoenix Wright was the one who set this all up to make _me _look bad. Then Spike here joined in to do anything for some money."

"How dare you, I haven't sunk to that level, and I never will," Apollo seethed. He glared at Daryan so hard that it looked like his eyes would bug out of his head. Apollo and Phoenix started talking aside in order to reform their crumbling defense.

"Mr. Wright, what should we do? Isn't there any more hard proof we can use?" Apollo asked urgently.

"Ha! There's none, 'cause I didn't do it," Daryan crowed at them. Alita smirked too at that moment. "Mr. Wright and Mr. Justice both threatened me into cooperating with them," she claimed in a victimized manner.

"If you can't come up with anything, both of you have to _leave the Ace Host Club_."

"No! This can't be over now, not with how things are," Phoenix said hoarsely. His mind was racing as he tried to find anything wrong with Daryan's accusation. "Apollo… we need to change our angle of attack."

"Wha?" the brunette asked blankly.

"Just give it up! There's no way you can weasel out of this one," Daryan cackled, pointing at the two hapless hosts.

"It's a bit hard to imagine framing myself on purpose…" Phoenix pointed out at length. "Had I been cooperating with Ms. Tiala, she would have known my face and name, yet she had made an appointment with Apollo well before I had any chance to leave club and inform her of a change. Now how do you explain that?" Their opponents gasped, caught.

Daryan glared, readying a comeback. Apollo bristled in anticipation as his partner stared coldly.

"Don't disgrace yourself further, Daryan…" Klavier suddenly interrupted. "Please, let's just… put this all behind us, and not antagonize my junior hosts anymore."

"I can't believe this, after our five year friendship, you're siding with people you barely know? You _traitor_!" Daryan yelled at him in response, as he bolted out of the room. This made Klavier enraged too, and he gave chase.

"No, Daryan, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you were the one attacking my other friends for some reason, and you know fully well that a club scandal would reflect badly on myself as well," Klavier yelled. He latched onto Daryan's arm, not allowing him to get away.

"Do you wanna know the truth you've been blind to until now?" the crooked student asked, turning to face Klavier sinisterly. "The whole time, I was only _pretending _to be your friend so that my dad could get in good with your dad. I hated every moment of being with you, you vain, selfish _child_." Klavier's grasp weakened and fell limply away. As he watched the man he had called his best friend walk away, he sank to his knees in despair.

There was a ginger touch on his shoulder that slowly sank into a slight amount of pressure.

"Mr. Gavin… I'm sorry about this…" Apollo said quietly.

"Never mind, Forehead…"

"Mr. Gavin, I," Apollo started, taking a deep breath, "I just wanted you to know that I'll stay with you, Klavier. Well, um, that's if you want that in the first place."

"Thank you," Klavier chuckled. He reached up to his left shoulder and placed his hand over Apollo's.

Back at the club, Wocky and Alita had sat back down at the abandoned table with each other.

"Alita-baby, why'd ya do it? That shark creep forced you to do it, didn't he? I'mma mess up his face the next time we meet!" Wocky ranted. Alita looked at him with exasperation and disdain.

"No, Wocky, I did it all of my own free will," she revealed.

"Wh-what? Why, Alita? There's no need to pretend, that mofo is gone now," Wocky went on, ignoring Alita's meaning completely.

"Get over yourself! I wanted to teach you a lesson, Wocky. You just come chasing after me all of the time and act like every boy I talk to is trying to steal me from you. Start acting your age already," she snapped at the boy.

"A-Alita… Is that really how you feel?" Wocky asked, shocked.

"Yes! …Wocky, all I want is some space and freedom. Let me live my life, and I'll stop brushing you off so much," the girl admitted. Wocky's eyes were cast downwards, but he was starting to understand.

"I'm sorry, Alita, I'll try hard to stop it," he apologized, reaching his hand across the table. It was met with his fiancée's, and they smiled quietly at each other.

At the other end of the club, however, things were getting rowdy with a group of hosts. Apollo found himself squashed in between the two oldest hosts. Lang had him in a headlock and was in the process of messing up his neatly done hair.

"The little pup has proven himself, chasing away a dog larger than himself," Lang complimented. "My great ancestor, Lang Zi, would be proud to have you in his family."

"That wasn't some roundabout way of saying that you're adopting me, was it?" Apollo gasped, feeling completely overwhelmed by the two surrounding him.

"Why not? We might even be 5th cousins, thrice removed from several centuries back," he suggested. Apollo didn't find it likely. Then again, the rest of his family was pretty nuts too.

Trianna and Anastasia were back from yesterday as well.

"Thank you, Mr. Justice, you really are a man of your word," Trianna said to Apollo gratefully.

"We saw the entire thing! You and Mr. Wright were very courageous," Anastasia informed the host.

"Well, it was either do it or lose our jobs, but thanks, Ladies," Apollo admitted, turning to them with a smile. As troublesome as the club was proving for him so far, Apollo still felt a little glad that he was able to stay, and deep down, he was slightly worried about the consequences of the trade off for Klavier…

"Let's celebrate the defeat of Jaws with a round of hot, black coffee!" Godot declared, shaking Apollo back into reality. "The next round is on me."

"Uhm, I'm not so sure that that's really something we should be celebrating, especially not right away…" Apollo tried to say.

"While I am of similar mind as you, Godot, I really doubt that everyone has the same taste in drinks as you," Edgeworth added in a bored tone. If he was happy that Daryan was gone, it didn't really show…

Phoenix and Klavier watched the (mostly) celebrating hosts' antics wordlessly.

"Apollo is going to go far, if he can gather people around himself this quickly," Phoenix remarked.

"Yeah…" Klavier sighed absently. Phoenix stretched like a lazy cat and brushed past the blond host, finally getting making his way back to his patiently waiting guests.

"Good luck with that one!" he teased. Klavier spun around and shouted "Hey!" at the wily host, but he smiled and shook his head, craftily answering, "We might all need it, Herr Wright."

Things were starting to get interesting.

End.

* * *

**Next time**: Sophisticated Host Miles Edgeworth seems to be at odds with Phoenix Wright. What could be the matter?

**A/N**: omg... did I just turn Alita and Wocky into reverse teacup couple from Ouran?! I-I have no idea... I don't really like her, but I think I gave them a happy ending because I felt bad for Wocky ^^'  
Thank you for reading, everyone!


	4. Trust in Turnabout

A/N: Hmm... so Dolasiar and Ziraulo pointed out some major mistakes I made in the last chapter... really not happy with it now ^^' but they gave me great advice, so my hope is to integrate it properly and make this story even better than it would have been before!  
Thank you very much, both of you :)  
Thanks to everyone who has supported me in writing this so far :D especially my sister, who frankly is my living sounding board for ideas ^^' keep in mind that I didn't run the last ch by her, so that's probably part of why it sucked... ahaha...

* * *

"Miles? What are you thinking about?"

"Hn? Nothing in particular, at the moment. Was I not paying you any attention, Miss?" Miles Edgeworth smoothly asked, looking up at his guest.

"I was just inquiring if there might be any more tea, Miles, but you appeared to be deep in thought," the girl answered. Edgeworth glanced down at the expensive china in surprise. Usually he took care to ensure the teapot never ran dry during appointments.

"My apologies, Miss. I shall go fetch more." Edgeworth left the table with his pot and went to the adjoining kitchenette for hot water. Edgeworth set a kettle on the stove to boil and waited, tapping the counter in boredom. It wasn't as if he as here by choice.

It was two years ago in junior high when he was convinced to join the host club, though 'badgered' seemed like the more appropriate description. It all started one day when Edgeworth had been sitting in the Gyakuten Junior High school garden, keeping to himself and studying during break, as usual.

"Hey Daryan, I had this awesome idea last night," someone was saying excitedly to a friend. Edgeworth groaned and buried his head deeper inside his textbook. Hopefully these individuals were only passing through, as it frequently happened.

"I know… That's generally what happens when I wake up in the middle of the night to your singing on the phone," the one named Daryan groaned.

"Why'd you hang up if you knew it was me wanting to tell you something?" complained the first speaker, who turned out to be a tanned boy with short blond hair and sunglasses. He'd look right at home on the beach. Ironically, his friend Daryan wore a shark tooth necklace and a gray hoodie with a fin on the back. Together, these two had more dress code violations than Edgeworth had ever seen in one group of students.

"If it were an actual emergency that couldn't wait for the next morning, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't waste time by _singing_ first. Fast upbeat songs usually mean you're excited, or at least in a good mood," Daryan retorted. "So what've you got in mind this time, Klavier? New idea for a song?"

"Nein, it's something even better, Daryan." Klavier stopped in front of his friend with a cocky grin. "This school is missing something… Something important."

"Oh yeah? What's that?" Daryan asked, seemingly skeptical of yet another harebrained idea.

"This school needs a place where anyone can come together to enjoy themselves freely, a place where everyone feels welcome. And last but not least, a place where every lady is cherished by the most perfect gentlemen. I'm going to start a host club next year when we move to high school!" Klavier declared valiantly, as if he were doing a great service to the entire populace of students. Edgeworth couldn't help but scoff lightly behind his textbook. Host clubs were places where women with an excess of time and money went when they became lonely, not somewhere the children of Japan's business elite went during school hours.

"Wow, that _is _new…" Daryan gaped. He crossed his arms and flicked his hair back in place. "So, how d'you plan on getting this club of yours to work?"

"That's easy, my friend, I will gather the hottest guys attending this school all in one place to provide entertainment for the ladies, along with anyone else who wants to come," Klavier explained, grinning. "And, as my very hot and best friend, I ask you to become the very first member of my new host club. What do you say, Daryan, are you in?" Klavier looked at his friend expectantly.

"Ahahaha, I'm real flattered, man, but I got better things to do than waste my time catering to every woman who comes my way. Besides, it's not like being hot automatically makes someone good at hosting, does it?" Daryan told the dreaming blond. Oh good, at least one of the pair possesses good sense.

"Come on, Daryan, it'll be fun! With the two of us, we'd have a great start with the host club," Klavier tried to persuade the other student, but Daryan only laughed, not changing his position.

"Hey man, if you can't get anyone to come to your club with your looks alone, then I say you're better off scrapping the idea anyway," Daryan justified sensibly. He threw in a jab, saying, "This sounds like some crazy plan to get more fans, anyway."

"It is not! Besides, if we lost any fans, it has to have been because of your lackluster guitar playing," Klavier retorted, pulling a face. Daryan became riled up too, shooting back, "What?! My playing is _awesome_. If anything, it's your singing that needs practice."

Edgeworth could see that the pair was not going to leave any time soon, and that they were getting into a noisy spat. With an exasperated sigh, the serious student shut his book with a snap and got up from his secluded bench. The sound attracted the attention of the blond, who turned his head, causing his friend to look over too.

"Well well, look who it is, a pale mystery, the boy who always sits in the back of class, silently stealing the hearts of unsuspecting frauleins; a perfect candidate for the host club," Klavier laughed, tugging at his golden locks thoughtfully.

'Pale mystery?' Stealing hearts? _Candidate for the host club- _

"No, all of that is absolutely false," Edgeworth cried out indignantly, spluttering at the nonsense he was being subjected to. "Besides, no girl would ever fancy me, much less a multitude of them."

"I disagree, just look at these features, like those of a man crafted from marble by Michelangelo. Girls would fall over themselves to get in line to go out with you!" Klavier argued nonsensically.

"Yo, Gavin, it's kinda disturbing how much you're noticing the attractiveness of other guys, just sayin'," Daryan interrupted, trying to hold his friend back from the hapless gray-haired student.

"I highly doubt your logic would apply to what women think of me," Edgeworth told Klavier, trying to have himself excused from having to join this host club. "Even if I do look as handsome as you claim, because of my personality, not even one girl would be foolish enough to 'fall' for me."

"Ahaha… then why don't we make a bet…? If any girl confesses feelings for you before the end of this year, you will have to join my club. In return, I will not ask you to join ever again, starting from now," Klavier negotiated with a small but confident smile on his face. It sounded like a good idea to Edgeworth. He'd just keep to himself and keep all of the girls at a distance, just as he usually did. There were only a few months left to go as well, and after that, Edgeworth would be home free.

"You have a deal," he answered, sealing his fate.

"Hey Edgeworth, your water is gonna evaporate if you space out for too long." Edgeworth came back to the present, realizing that Phoenix Wright was beside him, shutting off the stove.

"Oh, thank you for catching that, then," Edgeworth replied hesitantly. Losing himself in his thoughts in the middle of hosting _and _doing a simple chore? Edgeworth was really off the mark today. He sighed and transferred the hot water into his teapot.

"Something on your mind, Edgeworth? I've never known you to get distracted for no reason, unlike Larry," Phoenix asked, chuckling at the flighty boy he mentioned. The other host took the kettle from his colleague to boil water for coffee, briefly catching the tips of the silver-haired host's fingers in the exchange.

"It's just your imagination, Wright. Leave be the things that are out of your hands," the man replied despondently, snatching his hand back hastily. He had hoped that Wright wouldn't start a conversation with him, but the other host had a knack for noticing overlooked details.

"Edgeworth… if something's wrong, I'd be glad to lend you an ear," Phoenix offered. It didn't seem like he was fooled, and like a bad penny, he'd always turn up again after being turned down.

"Wright… thank you for your concern, but there is absolutely no need for it. I am fine," Edgeworth told him. Then he briskly left the kitchenette at a pace fast enough to remove himself from Phoenix's presence, and slow enough to not spill tea. On the way back to his table, he could see that the new host was having a different day.

"Maya, Pearl, Kay? What are you three doing here today?" Apollo asked the girls smiling at him around the table.

"We've requested to sit with you today to celebrate your new status as a host, silly. Work hard, Polly!" Maya cheered for him.

"Yes, we're so proud of you, Mr. Polly, congratulations on your advancement," Pearl said, holding her hands to her face with excitement. Apollo blushed heavily and scratched the back of his head.

"Wow, thank you so much, ladies. I'm grateful for your support every step of the way here," he replied, completely flattered and sincere. "I-I am at my job though, so allow me to pour tea for all of you."

"Stealing my regulars, Rookie? It looks like you're hiding still more skills than we originally thought." Apollo looked up in surprise with the teapot frozen in midair. Phoenix was casually smirking at him from behind Maya's shoulder. Maya turned around in her seat and punched the host in the arm, glaring at him with a pout.

"Nick! Don't say mean things," she scolded. Apollo looked at her gratefully until she added, "That's _my _job."

"Sorry, Nicky, we'll come visit you tomorrow. For now it's Polly's special day," Kay remedied with a cheeky grin.

"That doesn't mean you can't at least say 'hi' at my table for five seconds…" Phoenix objected, actually sporting an annoyed expression.

"It must be because they don't like your nosy, prying manner, Wright." Phoenix's eyes widened and he stood stock still. Everyone seated at the table's eyes shot up towards the speaker standing behind Phoenix. Edgeworth stared ahead, face betraying only a trace of bitterness.

"Um, Mr. Edgeworth, you were only joking around, right?" Apollo asked nervously with hopeful naivety.

"Edgeworth never jokes about anything anymore, does he?" Phoenix corrected, dangerously quiet. The silver haired host shrugged indifferently and went back to his table.

"Don't listen to him, Nick, he's just jealous because we're having a party over here while he's only got one guest right now," Maya insisted, grabbing Phoenix's arm and shaking it. Phoenix's jaw set into a hard line as he replied, "That guy probably _likes _being all alone."

"Jeez, what did you even do to get him to hate you?" asked Kay. Apollo looked at the two angry hosts, worried that something might have happened. It had to be bad, because Apollo had never seen Phoenix so angry before.

"Well, just forget about that guy. Sometimes he just gets moody," Phoenix said indifferently, sweeping his emotions back under the mask of apathy that he was able to slip on so easily.

"If you're sure, Nick…" Maya ceded, looking down dejectedly. Phoenix patted her on the shoulder, knowing that she was still worried.

"Um… isn't that Mr. Lang coming over here? He doesn't look so happy…" Apollo noted, frowning in his seat, trying to get a better look. Lang marched over to Phoenix and glared, staring down at the shorter host.

"Phoenix Wright, why are you not at your table? You are being extremely disrespectful to the guests waiting for you," he growled. Lang turned and barked, "Shih-na!" His secretary was over in an instant, appearing with a large scroll from an unknown location. Lang took the scroll and unfurled it efficiently, reading off, "Lang Zi says: A wolf who is slow will fail to catch its prey." He handed the rolled up scroll back to Shih-na, who disappeared exactly as she appeared.

"Oh no! I completely forgot about that," Phoenix yelled, actually looking panicked.

"Nick you idiot, hurry up and get back to your table already," Maya shouted at him, punching him in the arm to send him on his way. Phoenix practically scrambled to get back, swearing at himself under his breath. Apollo was shocked. The other hosts must be really powerful if they could get Phoenix under their control like that. He turned to address the frowning Alfa host.

"Um, Mr. Lang, what are you doing here? Don't you have any clients yourself?" he asked innocently, afraid to become subjected to Lang's displeasure. The man flashed a predatory grin at him.

"I do not have an appointment for another ten minutes, little pup. According to the schedule, Phoenix Wright was wasting the precious time his honored guests had allotted to him, so here I am," Lang explained with sureness.

"Aw, but Wolfy, there was no need to be so harsh with Nicky, was there?" Kay pouted at Lang.

"Don't worry about it, lil sis. In actuality, I was giving him a helping hand. You see, the newest member of our pack is climbing ranks swiftly. Advancing from chore boy, to host, to getting requests from clients who already have preferred regulars all in under one week… Phoenix Wright needs to stay sharp if he wants to maintain his position," Lang told her.

"Wait a minute, so you're teaming up against the least experienced person? How is _that _fair?" Apollo protested, banging the table unintentionally. Lang frowned at his hosting manners.

"You _are _sitting with three of his regulars, pup," Lang reminded him seriously. Oh right… Apollo scratched his head in embarrassment.

"Um, so long as they visit Mr. Wright a lot more, it'll be okay, right?" he squeaked. Maya rolled her eyes at Apollo like he was an idiot.

"Don't be silly, Polly. Forget about their stupid man-pride. All of us are friends, so we'll see whichever of you we want!" she insisted. Apollo felt rather sheepish about that too. It wasn't as if friends could only belong to one person at a time or anything.

"Hey sis, don't underestimate a man's pride. According to my ancestor Lang Zi, 'Hurt a wolf's pride, and he will bite back twice as hard," Lang warned the girl.

"Pssh, I don't care, I just think you guys are taking this way too seriously. Lighten up, there's more to hosting than simply maintaining a rank among yourselves," Maya said back to the older student. Lang howled with laughter.

"Not bad, sis, not bad. Our true purpose as hosts is to entertain those who come to us, which is what I must do now. Remember, wasting others' time by being late is disgraceful," he reminded them before he loped off to his station.

"Huh. Are things normally like this around here?" Apollo had to ask. Club had barely gotten through a quarter of today's session, and yet he had already witnessed no less than three confrontations at varying levels.

"Yes, they are," Pearl answered simply. "The hosts here often try to outdo each other to make themselves look more impressive. Mystic Maya is very skilled at holding her own against the hosts. It's because she has the potential to become head of the family someday," Pearls explained cheerfully.

"Aw, come off it, Pearly, that's only possible because my sis wants to do her own thing instead of taking over. Besides, it's not like anyone has to be _that _great to stump a host. I'm just little ol' me here," Maya insisted modestly. Kay and Pearl didn't agree though.

"Careful there, Polly, you're talking to the second coming of the Yatagarasu. Me, Maya and Pearls are packing power over here," Kay bragged. Apollo blinked at the substantial claim. The Yatagarasu was a business conglomerate of three mighty companies. They were huge internationally. Then it clicked for Apollo.

"Oh, your family name is Faraday. You aren't related to the CEO of Faraday Inc., are you?" Apollo asked Kay.

"Yep, Byrne Faraday is my Daddy, who's part of the first Yatagarasu. Pretty nifty, huh?" she confirmed, grinning madly. She rubbed her nose cheekily in glee.

"Yeah, it is, actually," he admitted in astonishment. Apollo should have known, seeing as all of the students at Gyakuten except himself had rich, powerful families. "What about you two, then, Ms. Fey and Ms. Pearl?" he asked curiously. He had no recollection of any major companies bearing the name 'Fey'.

"Actually, we're both spirit mediums in training. Pearly may be younger than me, but she's already much better at channeling than I am," Maya informed the host brightly. Pearl blushed and did her best to promote Maya's skills above her own. The two girls bickered affectionately over who was better.

"Ch-channeling? As in talking to ghosts…?" Apollo stuttered. There was a strangled look on his face. Could he…? If his friends could contact his mother, then…

But Apollo cut that train of thought short. He was a man who believed firmly in science, not in the existence of supernatural phenomena, such as ghosts. He guessed that the Feys were modern Shinto priests hired to perform important spiritual ceremonies. He couldn't allow himself to get carried away on impossible hopes…

Apollo looked at his friends somberly, suddenly feeling a great distance stretching across the table between him and his guests. He came from an entirely different world, and Apollo realized that he might never feel as if he belonged amongst the rich and privileged.

Just before club hours ended, appointments had finished several minutes early, allowing the hosts to linger about for a bit. Apollo decided to investigate the matter further. First he wandered over towards Klavier Gavin, who had taken out his acoustic guitar and was strumming it softly. A turbulent melancholic melody wafted out from the instrument, accompanying the musician's quiet humming.

"Whatever happened to rock music, Mr. Gavin?" Apollo asked to start a conversation. He sat down on the side deck beside the senior host. Klavier temporarily stopped humming to chuckle.

"Haven't you ever heard 'Dust in the Wind,' Herr Apollo?" the man asked.

"Only the Sarah Brightman version," Apollo offered, shrugging. More amused laughter. "Hey, Mr. Gavin… did Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth have a fight?" Klavier's playing slowed to a more thoughtful pace.

"Hmm, last year, after I allowed Phoenix Wright to join, he tried to talk to Edgeworth the most, but the other host mostly kept him at an arm's length. I'm sorry, Herr Apollo, I didn't know either of them very well before the formation of the host club," Klavier said, doing his best to give helpful knowledge. Apollo nodded.

"It's okay, I guess I was just a bit worried. Say, Mr. Gavin, how are you holding up?" Apollo asked quickly.

"Pretty good, danke Herr Justice. It's… liberating, in a way…" Klavier told him, putting on his brightest smile. Apollo was tempted to smile back, but his thoughts were knocked off track by a sudden wave of dizziness… no, some sort of vibe?

"Herr Apollo? Is something the matter? You zoned out on me just now," Klavier called. Apollo's vision stopped shaking and he raised his head again bashfully.

"Yeah, sorry. Sometimes I randomly get dizzy, but it's nothing," he explained. Apollo was no stranger to the feeling. It had started a couple of years ago, but it had remained harmless, so he wasn't worried. His dizzy spells didn't mean anything.

"Is that so? Maybe it's the weight of your forehead causing your head to sway," Klavier teased, giving the brunette a small smile. Apollo scowled at him.

"My forehead is normally sized, thank you very much," he quipped, raising his index finger to emphasize his point.

"I'm sure that's true where you came from, my little Martian," the amused host told Apollo. The younger host grumbled and jabbed a finger onto his forehead, which didn't help matters concerning the size of his brow.

"Gee, thanks, right when I started thinking you were actually an alright guy," Apollo grouched, earning a chuckle from Klavier. The young host quieted down, sitting with his senior for a moment to listen to the gentle melody of the guitar. This more serious and thoughtful side of Klavier was nice. Maybe they'd get along more smoothly if the older boy would just stop making fun of him for trivial things.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Mr. Gavin," he said eventually. Klavier glanced at him, and the tune of his guitar changed into 'Hello Goodbye.'

"Hello, hello, I dunno why you say goodbye, I say hello," the musician sang along. Apollo almost jumped, remembering how opposite the singer and subject of the song were.

"I- Mr. Gavin, I'm sure that we're not _that _much at odds, and I have other things to be doing," the brunette chided indignantly. Apollo got up quickly and marched off, spying a huge grin on the wisecracking host's face. Once he was a safe distance away, Apollo looked around. It looked like Edgeworth had already left, so the youngest host approached Phoenix for answers.

"Um, Mr. Wright, did anything happen between the two of you? With you and Mr. Edgeworth, I mean," he inquired tentatively. Phoenix looked at him slightly regretfully.

"Naw, Edgeworth and I are rivals, of sorts. Even though I've been a host for less time, my request rate is catching up to his, so he's only prickly because he feels threatened," he explained lightly. In a joking voice, he warned, "Don't get too popular too soon, or Edgeworth will round on you too."

"Ah, if you say so," Apollo winced. Phoenix's explanation made sense to him and matched up with what Lang and Pearl were saying. Apollo resolved to be careful not to incite the wrath of any of the other hosts.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry guys… my mom listened to lots of Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocceli, so I actually had an epiphany when I heard the original 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas last year. I had no idea it was rock… I hope it's okay if I reference songs from time to time here. It makes sense to me for Klavier, you know.

Sorry for lack of Godot here, but I'll get around to him ^^  
I hope I'm moving this along at an okay pace O_O please let me know anything I can do better ^^ I've never been a good writer, so my wish is to really improve by learning from this writing experience :3


	5. Trust in Turnabout 2

It was Wednesday, which meant that Edgeworth had chem lab again. Mr. Grey, the psychotic teacher, was yelling at everyone to pick partners and find a lab station that had been prepared already. Edgeworth glanced around balefully. There wasn't anyone around that he was particularly interested in working with, but he hoped he wouldn't have to deal with the annoying individuals who would inevitably be the last to find partners.

Silently, he counted the students present, and for once, the right amount of people were present for Edgeworth to work by himself. The lone student settled down at the station in the corner, reading through the printout for lab instructions beforehand so that he could finish as early as possible.

He'd already gotten to the third step when someone rushed into the class, 7 minutes after the starting bell. The girl stopped in the middle of the lab, doubled over and wheezing as if she had run over from the other side of the school.

"Skye! You're late! Do you have any idea how much this throws off all of the arrangements that have already been made?" the irate teacher yelled at her, shaking his hand wildly in indignation. "You're lucky this time, too. If you had missed enough of the lab to require a redo at a later point in time, I would have had to go and set everything up again, just for you. Do you understand how much of my time you'd be wasting?!"

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Grey! It won't happen again," the girl blurted out, bowing low in apology. Her long brown hair, which was supposed to be tied back during lab, was flung into her face, and she hastily straightened, trying to push the strands out of the way.

"Just get to work before I take extra points off. You have to work with Edgeworth over there, because he's the only one left without a partner," Grey snapped, pointing at the chilly corner while simultaneously adjusting the large rectangular glasses on his hand with his middle finger. The flustered girl saluted the teacher stoically and staggered over to Edgeworth's table.

Edgeworth pressed rubbed his temples and sighed. And just when he thought he was in the clear. His luck always toyed with him like that.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth… I should've known you'd be the last person available to pick as a partner," Ema mumbled dejectedly, slouching over. "But I'm not gonna let this get in the way of my favorite class!"

"It is good to see you again too, Ema," Edgeworth droned. She honestly didn't have to appear _that _pained about working with him. Ema dropped her things on the counter and shoved them where they wouldn't get in the way, much, before pouting.

"Right, so Mr. Edgeworth, where are we in the lab now?" Ema mustered, putting in a good effort for enthusiasm. He slid his copy of the printout to the middle of the table so that she could see it too. Pointing at the appropriate step, he explained, "Today is the acid-base titration lab, and I've prepared the basic NaOH solution that we will be pouring HCl, the acid, into. The next step is to add acid from the biuret until the basic solution has been neutralized, and the indicator changes color," pointing at the suspended long upright glass tube with a nozzle at the bottom. "Then we measure how much HCl was used. The purpose of this is to figure out how many moles of HCl is needed to neutralize NaOH."

"Okay, got it," Ema responded flippantly before nodding quickly and letting a small grin grace her features. "Let's get started then!" She eagerly reached for the tap on the biuret, but Edgeworth held out a hand to stop her from doing so. She looked at him with a defiant puff of her cheeks until she realized that her lab partner was holding out a pair of rubber gloves for her.

"Keep in mind that we are dealing with acids today," he reminded her seriously. Ema snagged the gloves from Edgeworth, grumbling a bit.

"I didn't need you to tell me that..." she snapped the gloves on impatiently and placed her hand on the nozzle again. Ema tried to turn the tap just enough to get a thin, swift stream, but the tap opened too much. Some of the acidic chemical hit the rim of the beaker and splashed onto the desk surface.

"Ahh!" Ema exclaimed, quickly shutting off the tap again. Thinking quickly, Edgeworth splashed the extra base he'd set aside onto the spill before the acid could damage the table top. Mr. Grey was suddenly hovering over their shoulders, searching for errors.

"Is something wrong over here?" he asked snidely.

"No, everything is quite alright at the moment," Edgeworth answered. The teacher hmmed and pushed up his glasses, turning away. The sound of breaking glass whisked the antsy man over to the other side of the room in a flash.

"Mr. Grey really is psychotic," Ema remarked, glancing over at their teacher, who was busy yelling at a student to get a dustpan. Edgeworth grunted an agreement, wiping up the water, salt and base left on the table.

"It may be a good idea to start turning slowly while opening the tap," he suggested offhandedly.

"W-well, the way you're scrutinizing my every move makes me jumpy!" Ema held her fists up, determined not to make the same mistake again. Edgeworth respectfully scooted further to the end of the desk, and this time, Ema didn't turn the tap too forcefully.

They left the tap open until the solution vaguely lost some of its color. Ema shut the tap off so that she could start adding acid drop by drop. Once again, as she turned, her touch was not delicate enough, and too much acid went in, turning the solution blue.

"Urk, I went overboard! I'm sorry about that..." Ema groaned, mourning over the messed up experiment. Edgeworth shook his head.

"You can make up for it by trying again with the solution I already prepared for the second trial. Just take note of the new starting measurement on the biuret, and you'll be fine," he answered, swapping the first beaker with the second. Ema looked astonished for a moment, but then returned to despondency.

"But I'm too clumsy for this... Maybe it'd be better if you did it..." she grouched reluctantly. Without answering, Edgeworth filled a smaller beaker with some HCl from the tube and handed Ema a dropper.

"When you get to the dripping part, use these to make it easier. Just pour the acid back in the biuret before we take the measurements." Ema let herself smile a little, and uttered a little 'thanks.' Edgeworth smiled slightly too.

They had done this before, years ago. In middle school, Ema would bound over to him and ask to work together for every experiment. Then he would allow the science-loving girl to carry out the more exciting parts while he discreetly took care of any resulting accidents. Ema really wasn't very skilled in chemistry, but she studied it with a contagious passion. He used to be very familiar with her brightly saying thanks in the very manner that she had just displayed. Edgeworth went back, thinking about how much in his life she had been in before, as he went about attending to preparing another liquid solution.

"Hey Mr. Edgeworth, I got 32.4 ml on that one," she chirped, sounding more like the sweet young girl she had been in the past.

By the time they had finished up the experiment and cleared away all of their materials, Ema was in a really good mood, which was rare for the girl who tended to get annoyed enough to rudely ignore people or throw snacks at them.

"Well, this is unprecedented. You've managed to finish the lab quickly and without accidents for once, Skye," Grey noted a little less flatly than usual. "Maybe you should work with Edgeworth again next time, to see what happens. Then you could potentially save me from a few headaches." Their eccentrically fussy teacher left again to attend to the rest of the class. Ema stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

"Hm, he might have a point there. You're probably not as bad of a guy as I thought. Maybe," Ema figured. She made a face at Edgeworth and left the classroom, not caring that the bell hadn't rung yet. Edgeworth sighed exhaustedly, but there was no way he would fault her for seeing him negatively, not after what had happened in the past between them.

-AHC-

Today, the Court Room was specially set up. Each table was clear of the usual tea and snack trays. Instead, some sort of game involving a raised hoop and trays of various little trinkets.

"Gather round, my ladies and fellow hosts," Klavier called, clapping his hands for the attention of the puzzled students lined up on the walkway. "Today we have a special game event." A bunch of girls cheered in excitement.

"Allow me to explain the rules. Herr Justice, if you'll be my assistant?" Klavier said, sitting down at the table nearest the front. Apollo started, but followed suit good naturedly.

"All players may select a playing piece from the tray. Here, Herr Apollo, take one." Klavier held the tray out, and Apollo took a trinket in the shape of a white bunny. It was slightly pliable and fit in his palm neatly. The bunny toy reminded him of the plush rabbits that were part of the series of props Trucy pulled out for her magic panties act. Why she didn't use her hat like a conventional magician, he had no idea.

"The objective of the game is to flick your piece through the hoop from behind the outer rim of the table. Every guest will take turns competing with her host in a round of five shots. The one who gets best of five in that round is the winner! Guests go first, Forehead," Klavier indicated. To demonstrate, Apollo carelessly flipped the bunny, which ended up bouncing off the rim.

Before taking his turn, Klavier paused, tossing and catching his tiny piano in his hand. He slyly added, "To make things more interesting, the winner gets to ask the loser any question about them, and the loser _has _to answer truthfully!" He smirked at the gawping Apollo.

"What?! You could have told me that sooner," Apollo quipped. He was wary of what the man would ask if he won. Klavier grinned as his shot went through.

The younger host took more care this time, and the bunny hopped through the ring. Klavier's turn again, and the man sent the tiny piano through the hoop with ease. Determined not to lose, Apollo made his bunny sail through for another point, bringing them to a tie.

"Achtung, looks like we're at a tie-breaker, and so it's my turn again," Klavier called smarmily. Apollo glared at the piano trinket, fiercely willing it to miss. He shut his eyes tightly in concentration. Apollo heard the sound of the toy being struck by a nail, and then the piano hit him square in the forehead with a thunk.

"Ooh, looks like I've hit the wrong target…" Klavier said in mock regret. Apollo picked up the piano and hurled it back to the other side of the table. He didn't buy that Klavier was sorry for a moment, especially when Klavier snickered. Gavin completely did that on purpose, Apollo just knew it!

"Well, Herr Apollo? What's your question for me? Ask anything you desire to know about me, the Prince of the host club?" Klavier asked him alluringly. Apollo rubbed his sore forehead as he thought. He glanced up to see the older host grinning at him expectantly.

"Uhm, I don't really have anything in mind at the moment. Can I save this question for later?" Apollo asked sheepishly. Klavier scoffed and leaned back in his chair away from the uncooperative host.

"You're no fun, Herr Forehead, but very well. I'll let you slide this time," he pouted. But then he winked quickly and resumed explaining the game. "Once the winner has actually _asked _something, the process goes on with the next guest in line. And finally, once you finish playing, the playing piece of your choice is yours to keep, as a gift from the gentlemen of the Ace Host Club. Now, let the games begin!" Klavier finished. Apollo examined the bunny he was holding. It was suspiciously rubbery…

"Hey, aren't these eraser toys?" Apollo asked in surprise.

"Oh yes, yesterday afternoon, I went to a crafts store and couldn't help splurging on these adorable little erasers. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to fit them all in the display case in my room…" Klavier admitted, letting his hair fall slowly from his fingers.

"Well you can't just go and dispose them all through other people…" Apollo sighed, glancing around. From the looks of it, Klavier must have bought out the store's entire stock.

"But they made for a good game, ja?" Klavier replied pleasantly.

"More like a massive opportunity for invading privacy, in my opinion…" Apollo grumbled.

"If you're lucky, you'll only get simple questions about what your favorite things are," Klavier laughed and winked cheekily. "Now get going, my Forehead." Apollo grouchily got up from the sofa, making way for Klavier's guests.

Klavier was completely wrong. Most of the questions Apollo got _were _reasonable, but Apollo had to admit to himself that sometimes girls were… insane, as his face turned the same shade as his boxers. He couldn't believe there were people crazy enough to ask about his _underwear _for crying out loud! Apollo resolved to _really _get back at Klavier for coming up with such a ridiculous idea later.

Edgeworth glanced around at his colleagues' tables in boredom as he waited for his two guests to switch seats and make a move. Lang had just been asked an inane question about how he had obtained his powerful physique, which Lang seemed to find amusing.

"Heh. To answer your question, every day, I go through a strict training regimen alongside the officers of my family's private 99 man police force," he explained candidly.

"Oh wow, Mr. Lang. But isn't it hard to keep up with harsh training?" the girl asked in awe. "It really paid off, though, didn't it?" Lang shook his head.

"A good leader would never laze about while his men do hard work for him. I am especially grateful for their service to my family and me, and so the results on my body are more like side effects," Lang lectured. "Lang Zi's philosophy teaches my people to behave honorably above else. Whether one is good looking or not, the only thing that matters about appearance is that one does not shame one's parents by being a slob!"

"Mr. Lang is truly noble!" the girls said, very impressed by Lang's refusal to be self important. Lang mostly attracted two kinds of girls; ones who were serious, and ones who like him for being the fittest in the club.

A raccoon eraser landed on the table, dangerously close to Edgeworth's teacup.

"Oh no, I missed! Your turn, Mr. Edgeworth," Elizabeth was saying. Edgeworth picked up his sunflower and punted it in the general direction of the hoop. It didn't go in. Although Edgeworth wasn't fond of talking about himself, he tended to let the girls win, because he found it hard to think of new questions to ask them after a while. Elizabeth set up for another shot.

This time, Edgeworth's attention wandered over to Klavier's table as he sipped at his Jasmine tea. He'd noticed that the head host's win rate was suspiciously even. Half the time Klavier won, he would ask his guests what their favorite songs were and sing it to them. This time, he won the round neatly, and with a smoldering look at his guest, he asked, "Tell me, princess, how did you come to have such beautiful skin?"

Edgeworth scoffed as the girl swooned. There he was again, flirting excessively, but at least he had relatively nice things to say.

"It's natural. All of the women in my family have skin like mine," she finally was able to answer after recovering. 'Natural'? Not likely, Edgeworth thought, nearly snorting into his tea in an undignified way. This particular girl's family owned an empire in makeup and beauty products.

A cheer from the other side of his table got Edgeworth's attention back to his own game. So the score was 0 to 1. Edgeworth randomly flicked his eraser, and it actually made it in.

Godot had been winning all day, in fact, he had yet to lose any rounds at all. But this time, his opponent looked especially determined, and the other girls at the table were really cheering her on. Apparently she was close to winning. Edgeworth watched as her soccer ball eraser went sailing towards the hoop, dead center. Suddenly, a miniature coffee mug appeared from the other direction and caused the soccer ball to rebound instead of going through the hoop.

"Hey! Mr. Godot, that wasn't fair," they cried in indignation. Godot smirked at them, tutting quietly. For some reason, he seemed so bent on keeping himself a mystery, that he even attended the school under an alias. So in essence, the only thing anyone knew about him was that he had an unhealthy coffee addiction.

"Godot, you just cheated!" Lang came up roaring. He stopped just short of the white-haired man and glared.

"No it wasn't, no one made it a rule that it's illegal to counter shots, so technically I did not do anything unfair," Godot answered him calmly, with a gulp of steaming hot coffee. If Edgeworth could recall the dreaded rumor mill properly, people had decided that Godot was a machine, and that it was really oil that he was constantly drinking to keep himself running. Utter rubbish, of course.

The brewing confrontation had also caught the attention of Klavier, who came striding up to Godot's other side.

"Godot, you're supposed to let them win sometimes, not beat them with whatever means necessary," he scolded. "That's the way to keep the ladies entertained, do you understand?" Lang didn't seem to agree, though.

"What?! Losing on purpose is also underhanded. Both of you need to learn fair sportsmanship," Lang growled at them. Hopefully Lang wouldn't look too closely at how Edgeworth was playing.

"Urgh, no, in this room, it is most important to keep our guests happy, and that becomes considerably more difficult when the challenge is too low or _much _too high!" Klavier argued angrily. Wright sidled over, coolly checking out the scene.

"Ooh, reminds me of a poker scammer. If the players lose too much too soon, they'll be scared away. If they win too much, they might even leave before the clueless card shark can profit," he drawled. All three hosts glared at him, or at least two of them did.

"Herr Wright, _not helping_," Klavier seethed. Edgeworth looked away from the conflicted hosts.

"Hooray! It went in! Okay, Mr. Edgeworth, here's my question for you," Elizabeth said victoriously. "I've been wondering for a long time, now, Mr. Edgeworth... How did you come to join the host club? I don't mean to offend, but it just doesn't seem in your nature to go to others on your own."

"Elizabeth! You can't just go asking him something like that," Rebecca whispered, aghast.

"Oh, never mind that, Mr. Edgeworth, I'll just think of something else to ask," Elizabeth backtracked apologetically.

"No, it's quite alright, Miss Elizabeth," he reassured her. He'd have been surprised if no one from club noticed that he was a loner in reality. "I... am here as a sort of apology. I felt that I could atone for my misdeeds by making other ladies happier."

"D-did it work, Mr. Edgeworth? And who did you want to apologize to?" Rebecca asked him, hanging off the edge of her seat.

"I'm afraid you'll have to win again to have your answers, as by the rules," Edgeworth replied, smoothly saving himself, or at least stalling temporarily.

"Hey, mind if I join in?"

Edgeworth's head snapped up sharply, glaring at the owner of the voice he was all too familiar with. Phoenix Wright grinned at the occupants of the table coyly.

"Mr. Wright, haven't you any guests of your own that you're supposed to be playing?" Rebecca chided.

"Nope, my appointments have ended already. How about a suggestion? We can form teams of two, guests versus hosts," he purred, sliding onto the seat next to Edgeworth, who moved just to get farther away. "Then the winning team can ask a question from either person on the losing side."

"That sounds acceptable to me," Elizabeth agreed, and Rebecca nodded as well. Edgeworth found he had no more excuses to kick Wright out with.

Phoenix turned to his rival and taunted, "I bet you can't score more goals than I can." Something sparked inside Edgeworth. He hated losing, and the prospect of losing to Wright after resisting him for so long was just unacceptable, even in a small game.

"You're on, Wright," he almost snarled, just barely keeping his countenance in check.

From that point on, the two hosts went all out, not giving an inch anywhere. Against the two men with things to prove, Elizabeth and Rebecca didn't stand a chance. They ended up not being able to win a single match between either host.

"Drat, Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright really make up an unbeatable team," Rebecca admitted, finally throwing up her hands in defeat.

"It's almost like the two of you bring out the best in each other when you have the same goal," Elizabeth observed. "I would love to stay and play more, but our appointment time is over, so Rebecca and I will be taking our leave. Thank you, Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright." The two ladies got up with neat curtsies and left, giggling about something to themselves.

"So… who won that?" Phoenix asked. Somehow, the hosts had ended up with a tie. Edgeworth was so sure that the girls had timed their departure on purpose.

"We should settle the matter with a final match, you against me, this time," Edgeworth resolved. Phoenix smirked and moved over to the opposite side of the table so that they could both face the hoop.

"Normal rules…?" Phoenix inquired. His opponent nodded stiffly, wanting to get to the match quickly. "You're going down, Edgeworth." Phoenix was the guest at the table, so he went first. Phoenix's ladder-shaped eraser went sailing through the hoop. Edgeworth picked it up and examined it before he had to hand it back.

"Why did you pick something as eccentric as this ladder?" Edgeworth couldn't help asking.

"It's a stepladder, actually. Can I have it back now?" Phoenix asked, holding his hand out impatiently.

"Does it really matter? Even as a different type of ladder, it is still a ladder at its very essence," Edgeworth argued back. "You still haven't told me why you chose it," he reminded as he dropped it back on Phoenix's side of the table.

"Well, everyone thinks ladders are unlucky, and I have a knack for turning bad situations good, so I thought it would be funny to use a 'bad luck' charm. It's served me pretty well so far, actually," Phoenix grinned, scooping the little ladder back up. Edgeworth hoped that he would beat Phoenix and prove him wrong. How could something with such an odd shape possible get a decent trajectory, anyway?

They exchanged three more turns, neither missing a shot. Tied again. Phoenix was down to the last turn now, and he laughed quietly, confident that he would win. Phoenix flicked his ladder, and then both hosts watched as it sailed straight towards the hoop…

It got stuck.

"What the hell!" Phoenix yelled, smacking himself in the face. His 'lucky' ladder had just the right shape for it to get stuck with each leg hanging over the sides of the hoop.

"I knew your logic was flawed," Edgeworth chided. "Now what should we do? Shake it off and see where it lands?" Phoenix groaned and nodded sheepishly. Even he agreed that they were in a dumb situation. They both gripped the sides of the table, and on the count of three, rattled the table to get the ladder to move. It dangled and teetered precariously, finally tipping over the edge onto Edgeworth's side.

"Alright! Now, since I won that bet… Tell me, Edgeworth, why do you keep to yourself all the time? Even though you don't stay around me anymore, why don't you have any other friends around?" Phoenix asked. Sadness tinged the determination reigning his voice.

"Hmph, speak for yourself, Wright..." he replied. It wasn't as if he had been keeping track of the man after they had parted, but they would often see each other in passing, and it wasn't as if Wright had been surrounded by friends either, not even after he had met that Fey girl. It was then that Edgeworth realized that Phoenix had been very alone for years, just as he had.

"I simply find it easier to have as few relationships as possible, Wright, that is all."

"Then you're just a coward, Edgeworth. Is it losing more people you care about, or are you scared someone will ask you about things that you refuse to face?"

"Get out of here, none of it is your business!" Edgeworth shouted, rising to intimidate the other host.

"Move on already, Edgeworth! It's time to learn how to live in the present," Phoenix yelled back, also standing. They glared at each other, trying to force the other to back down. Edgeworth yielded first, turning away and leaving the room. All eyes were on Phoenix, but gradually, everyone averted their eyes, shaken by the outburst. Phoenix quickly exited as well, before any questions could come his way.

* * *

**A/N**: sorry if I lost anyone in the chemistry... It just provided the perfect setting for Edgeworth and Ema to meet in. I kind of feel like Ema would mess up labs, since she didn't pass the forensics test... Poor girl... the indicator I used is Naphtholphthalein, btw  
So mega thanks to my lovely sis, who is my greatest advisor and helped me through all of the chem, which I have always gotten Ds in...

This game section was lots of fun for me lol  
I came up with this headcanon that Lang has a Chinese/Asian accent and that he can't read English/Japanese XD that's why he always reads Lang Zi's quotes by himself but gets Shih-na to read all of the case files for him O_o at least that's what I think...


	6. Trust in Turnabout 3

**A/N**: Guys, I am going back to college next week, so there's a good chance there will be a delay on either the next chapter or the one after it ^^' sorry, and please bear with me

This chapter is super long, because I didn't know where to split it without making things choppy... If someone gives me a good suggestion, I'll fix it. Huh, I ended up surprising myself with this chapter, actually. You'll see why XD Please enjoy!

Ramblinkat: Thank you for the reviews X3 I'm glad Edgeworth's story is working out okay, because I have this stubborn refusal to not watch the first game on youtube until I have played the game first hand, even though I already know all the villains/general happenings... Ohoho, I have finally figured out what I want to happen in Godot's arc, and I hope it turns out well! Thank you very much for the kind compliments XD

* * *

"Welcome home, Master Edgeworth. Lady Edgeworth wants you to go meet her in the drawing room, Sir," the head butler greeted.

"Thank you, Gumshoe," Edgeworth replied as he allowed the burly man to take his jacket. After making sure the butler had put away his jacket in the proper place with no problems, he dutifully made his way through the large mansion to meet his mother with Gumshoe trotting behind him. The man entered the drawing room and found her being fitted for a white gown.

"Ah, there you are, Miles, I am in need of your opinion. How does this dress look on me?" she asked him warmly. To be honest, Edgeworth thought his mother looked stunning in it. Elaborate lace formed the slim sleeves, bodice, and collar, while white silk billowed out for the skirt. Despite being in her late forties, Lady Edgeworth's face remained smooth, and her gray-streaked hair seemed blacker in contrast with the endless white, giving her the appearance of a younger woman.

Edgeworth took in the sight quietly. He sucked in a breath for what he was about to say.

"… I don't like it at all. There is no need for this dress, so you should just get rid of it, Mother," he lied coldly. No matter how beautiful the dress was, to Edgeworth, the significance behind the dress would always remind Edgeworth of a heavy, black weight. Edgeworth turned on his heel and stormed out the door to seek solace in the privacy of his room.

"Hey, pal! Don't speak to your mother like that! Come back and apologize, Master Edgeworth, Sir!" Gumshoe bellowed after him. The gray-haired teen ignored him, however, and Gumshoe's face fell.

"Lady Edgeworth, want me to call him back?" Gumshoe asked her pathetically. Veronique Edgeworth sighed. Her son would have to stop fighting and accept the matters of the present at some point.

"No, let him go…" the older woman sighed, pursing her lips. She gestured at the seamstress working on her dress to come closer.

"We may have to try on that other one, as well. Hopefully it will get a better reaction from my son, though nothing seems to please him anymore," she remarked wryly. "Dick, which dress do you think looks better?" The butler put his chin on his hand in a thoughtful pose and knitted his eyebrows together as he looked at the selection of dresses.

"Try the one over there on the right," he suggested in good spirits. Lady Edgeworth smiled at him, glad for an opinion not laced with bitterness, and arranged for the seamstress to have that one fit instead.

Edgeworth fumed, pacing about his large room. Today had been extremely trying for him. Too many old scars and wounds had been opened by the encounters he had gotten into. Running his hands through his hair stressfully, Edgeworth tried to calm down, sitting down at his desk and yanking his homework out of his book bag. Hopefully working could distract him from his thoughts.

First he took out his calculus book and flipped it open to the assigned problem set. "Nick has a conical water tank that is 20 meters tall and has a radius of 3 meters. If water flows in from a hose at the rate of 4 meters squared per second, how long will it take Nick to fill the tank completely?" Edgeworth paused and glared at the problem.

"What in the hell?" seeing Phoenix's nickname did not help Edgeworth to forget about the man in any way. "Since when are there cone-shaped water tanks, anyway?" Edgeworth angrily shut the math book and took out his English reading assignment instead. Reading was always a good way for Edgeworth to lose track of time.

The student settled down to read Moby Dick in peace. It was an exciting tale about a whaling ship at sea, and Edgeworth was hooked, until he realized that Captain Ahab's true intention was to fulfill his decade old grudge and kill the whale that took off his leg. And Phoenix thought _he _was unable to let go of the past.

Edgeworth set the book down in frustration.

It was just then when someone knocked on his door.

"Come in," Edgeworth called. The doorknob rattled a few times as the person on the other side of the door tried to get it open with some difficulty. The teen sighed, getting up from his seat. He strode over to his door and whipped it open to reveal the butler with a precariously balanced tray.

"Hey pal, I got your afternoon tea," Gumshoe announced. He smirked in confidence, though to Edgeworth, it only served to make the man look comical instead.

"I am not your pal, Gumshoe, I am your employer," he reminded flatly. The remark successfully knocked the grin off Gumshoe's face, and the butler's shoulders sagged, putting the tray in more danger. Edgeworth had sated himself with more tea than usual at club today, but he murmured his thanks and stood to the side to let his butler in.

The bumbling man marched purposefully to Edgeworth's writing desk and tried to clear a space for the tray on the already relatively neat desk. Edgeworth eyed the tremors shaking the tray with trepidation and removed his schoolwork from the middle of the desk so that there was a large enough spot to place the tray on. With a satisfied sound, Gumshoe set his master's tea down with no small amount of sloshing. Edgeworth grimaced inwardly. He was sure that no other house had to employ any butlers as incompetent as this one.

"There you are, Sir, enjoy your tea!" Gumshoe said to him, throwing in a salute to go with it.

"Thank you, Gumshoe," Edgeworth replied, taking a sip before the man to show appreciation. "You may take your leave now." But the awkward butler lingered, fidgeting with his hands and glancing around. Evidently he had something more to say.

"Is there something you needed, Gumshoe?" Edgeworth sighed, deciding to take the bait. The older man startled, but went into an angry stance, huffing at his master.

"Yeah, there is, as a matter of fact! What was that all about earlier? I know you're against your mother's decision, but there's no need to treat her like that!" he growled, suddenly turning all mighty and powerful. Gumshoe's best features were his loyalty and his size, and they made him akin to something like a guard dog for the members of the house of Edgeworth.

"Gumshoe, I am the _master of the house_. Mother should at least have consulted me before going forwards, and now you are the one who is speaking out of place," he answered back angrily.

"O-oh yeah, sorry about that, Master Edgeworth… I wasn't really thinking…" Gumshoe immediately apologized. In reality, the sturdily built man got intimidated easily, all bark and no bite. Edgeworth disliked having to be harsh with him, but he hoped that he would be able to discourage the butler from having these conversations again in the future.

"Then _start _thinking, or I _will_ dock your paycheck," Edgeworth threatened to drive the point home. Gumshoe gasped and looked at Edgeworth with the saddest eyes he could manage.

"You wouldn't…" he whined. Edgeworth glared.

"I _would_."

Gumshoe got out of the room as quickly as possible, whimpering apologies and almost smacking into the doorframe. Edgeworth shut the door quietly after the man, groaning. Dealing with the butler's antics gave him headaches more often than not.

-AHC-

There had been an unsettled feeling in Apollo's stomach, ever since Phoenix and Edgeworth had stormed out of club yesterday afternoon. Whatever it was they were fighting about, it didn't sound like a mere rivalry anymore. The young host reasoned that the troubles between the two must have gone back a long time, because the last thing Phoenix had shouted at Edgeworth was that Edgeworth should let go of the past.

Apollo didn't feel especially close to either host, but he felt the need to do something to get them to stop fighting, if at least just to get the two to stop scaring everyone else in the host club.

The last time he had tried asking Phoenix what was up, the older host hadn't wanted to open up to Apollo about what was really going on under the surface, so the brunette knew that he'd have to try a different approach if he wanted to get through to the truth. Luckily, Apollo already had a good idea of who he could ask for help.

"Ah, Ms. Fey, can I speak to you in private?" Apollo requested politely. Maya, Pearl and Kay looked up from their lunches in curiosity.

"Sure, Polly," Maya answered, getting up and following him out into the relatively quiet hallway attached to the dining room. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Yesterday, Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth had a bad fight in front of the entire club," Apollo told her tentatively. Maya gasped.

"Again?! What were they fighting about…?" Maya asked. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked extremely worried. It wasn't like her friend to get into fights.

"I can't say… Mr. Edgeworth yelled at Mr. Wright to keep out of his business, and Mr. Wright told him to stop living in the past. It seems like they were fighting over something that happened a long time ago, so I wanted to ask you if you knew what happened between them," Apollo explained. Maya shook her head.

"No… I've known Nick for three years now, but not once did he mention Edgeworth to me outside of host club matters. I have a bad feeling about this… I mean, Nick tells me like _everything_, and he's mentioned people and events from his past before, but not one word about Edgeworth…" she said regretfully. "But I'll ask him."

At Apollo's overly worried look, she tried to cheer him up by putting a smile on her own face. She slapped him on the arm and said, "Lighten up, Polly! I know how to deal with Nick, and I've got a bunch of tricks up my sleeves that he can't say no to!"

-AHC-

Phoenix was packing up his bag at his hosting table, after club hours had ended. He heard a dull thump on the table and looked up, finding Maya leaning on the table. She gave him a coy look, which he knew meant that she wanted something.

"Hello Maya, how are you?" he asked, poking her arm for fun before ducking down to organize his bag again. There was a rustle of paper as Maya slid some kind of flyer onto the table.

"Look Nick, the Steel Samurai fair is going to be in town tonight! Please let's go together? You promised you'd take me this year," Maya begged, throwing her fists up in excitement. Phoenix glanced at the flyer. There would be a lot of feudal Japan themed games and stands, with a spectacular Steel Samurai show promised at the end of the night. Since Maya's family life was immersed in many age old traditions, Maya loved anything that hearkened back to Ancient Japan, and the popular kid's show was no exception.

"I'm sorry, Maya, I'm not sure I can make it tonight… Can't you get someone else to go with you?" he sighed. Lately, he hadn't been feeling up to anything much, and he couldn't motivate himself to go out and brave the crowds even for Maya.

But Maya wouldn't take no for an answer, so she planted her hands on the table and put on a more serious face.

"Please Nick… For a while, every time we've gone out together, it's been in a group. Just this once, let's go alone, just the two of us," she gave him a small sweet smile, none of the pouting or pestering that she'd usually throw at him. It was a simple request.

"Alright, Maya, we'll go together," Phoenix relented, returning her smile.

"Thanks." Maya placed her hand on his and shook it a little in a playful way. "Take it as a break, Nick. Trust me, you really need it."

"Break from what?" Phoenix asked with a laugh. Maya jumped up and started dancing around the tables, weaving a path through the emptied court.

"Oh, you know, some people," she called as she pranced about. Her random path brought her near Phoenix's table again, and she joked, "Woohoo, I scored a date in my first month of high school. Not so shabby, right?"

"D-date? No no no, it isn't really a date, is it?" Phoenix asked, starting to sweat.

"No silly, of course it's not, duh!" Maya huffed, stopping across the table from Phoenix to face him.

"Oh good, because I couldn't date you, ahahaha..." he let out in a strained voice. Maya gasped and looked offended, throwing her fists out at her side in protest.

"Nick?! What's so wrong with the idea of going on a date with me?!" she glared at her friend, expecting him to tell her there was nothing wrong with going out with her. But then a thought crossed her mind, and she chuckled darkly, plotting something that meant bad news for Phoenix. "Ohhh, I see. I'd forgotten for a moment, but there's no reason for me to be offended by that at all." She nodded to herself, agreeing with her own theory.

"And why's that?" Phoenix asked lamely, falling right into the trap. Maya grinned sinisterly and leaned towards him on the table.

"It's because you actually have the hots for Edgeworth, isn't it?" she accused. Phoenix paled, then recoiled in his seat, gaping. Quickly, the man's eyes darted around the entire room, checking to see that no one had heard

"M-Maya, would you listen to what you're saying? I haven't heard anything as ridiculous as that from you for- for the entire time we've known each other!" he hissed at her.

"Gosh, Nick, like everybody can sense the UST between you two. It's all those fights you've been having lately. You guys need to tone it down or get a room, seriously," Maya scolded him, sticking her tongue out. Phoenix was so mortified that he had to hide his face in his hands.

"No Maya! You have completely the wrong idea!" he answered hoarsely, but his unrelenting friend only rolled her eyes.

"You're my best friend, Nick, I know you like the back of my hand. This isn't going to change anything, you know," she asserted, smiling at him reassuringly. "Besides, what made you think my sis would let you get so close to me if there was a chance you'd try asking me out?" She winked.

"Come on, both of you know that I had a girlfriend once," he argued back, groaning. Even Mia thought he was into men? Really?!

"Pssh, we both also know that she asked you out first, and that it didn't work out in the end... Not so proactive of a boyfriend, are you?"

"Maya... Just trust me on this. That's not the reason I've been fighting with Edgeworth," he pleaded quietly.

"Then... why?" Maya asked with concern. She feared that Apollo was right, and that the real reason was something more serious than she had thought.

"...I can't tell you, I'm sorry..." Maya ducked her head, saddened that Phoenix was keeping something from her that was tearing him up inside. She circled his arm with hers comfortingly.

"Don't worry about it, Nick, let's just have fun tonight, relax and forget for the night." He smiled wanly.

Phoenix stood at the entrance of the festival area, waiting for Maya to arrive. Night had fallen, and Phoenix wore a navy kimono with a white feather crest on the back, but the bustling atmosphere kept him warm. Red lanterns hung in strings overhead, linked from stall to stall, providing more than enough light to see by.

Left to himself for a moment, Phoenix's thoughts drifted back to the one year he had gone to a similar festival with his then best friends Larry... and Edgeworth. They'd been in 4th grade, barely tall enough to see over the stands, but they'd had enough fun running around and causing mayhem with Larry's dumb ideas.

"Guys, hurry up! You're so slow!" Larry squealed, bounding ahead in his obnoxiously orange yukata. He turned back to glare at his two friends, who were trailing behind at a leisurely pace, tired out from all the running they had been doing earlier.

"Perhaps you should slow down for us, Larry," Miles suggested dryly. He glanced at the spiky-haired boy at his side. "Phoenix will probably die of exhaustion if we go any faster." Phoenix took a break from panting to stick his tongue out.

"I'm not gonna die just like that!" he objected. But he wheezed again. "A break would be nice though…" Miles nodded understandingly.

"I think now would be a good time to put our wishes on the bamboo tree. We can stop to sit then," Miles suggested. Phoenix nodded breathlessly and Larry agreed, impatiently saying, "Oh, alright." The three wandered to a nearby grove of bamboo, which was already strung with maybe a thousand wishes.

Phoenix got a slip of paper and a brush, preparing to write his wish down. But he tapped his chin with the brush handle, not sure what to wish for. His life was pretty good, really. He looked to either side, checking out what his friends were writing down.

"Hey Larry, what are you wishing for?" Phoenix asked. Larry stopped his messy brushwork and winked at Phoenix, flashing him a thumbs up.

"I wish to be popular with ladies when I'm big, duh, Nick!" he declared. Phoenix stifled his laughter when he heard Miles scoff on his other side.

"How delightfully immature," he remarked. Larry made an exaggeratedly angry face at him, holding his fists up and gasping.

"Hey, it's an awesome wish, Edgey! What're you wishing for, then? I bet it's way lamer," Larry whined. Larry and Phoenix both leaned over to peer at Miles's neat handwriting.

"What am I wishing for…? There's nothing much I can wish for, as everything is achieved through hard work and preparation. However, I did wish to never become misguided in my journey through life," he explained seriously.

"Wow, you're always so thoughtful, Miles," Phoenix commented in awe. However, the concept seemed to soar above Larry's head, and he flippantly said, "Meh, my wish is totally better." Larry jumped up to go hang his wish on a bamboo stalk.

"Whoa! That moth is _huge_!" the heard him yell. Before either Phoenix or Miles could move, Larry was running into the grove somewhere, chasing after the moth. Phoenix jumped up.

"Sh-shouldn't we follow him?!" he asked Miles. His friend looked completely bored.

"Don't worry, I arranged for my butler to keep track of him somehow, so he'll find him later," Miles explained. "Let's just have a moment of peace and quiet before he returns." Phoenix reluctantly nodded, sitting back in his seat. He still hadn't thought of a wish.

Phoenix watched his friend reach up and hang his wish on a stalk in the area behind them. Finished, Miles turned around again and settled back into his seat next to Phoenix. He glanced at Phoenix's blank paper.

"Still no ideas?" Phoenix shook his head. Miles settled back comfortably. "Have you heard the story behind the Tanabata Festival?"

"No, I never thought about it," Phoenix replied. Edgeworth cleared his throat, readying for his explanation mode.

"Well, according to legend, there was a beautiful princess named Orihime who was the daughter of the king of heaven. Every day, she would weave divine cloth by the riverside. But Orihime became very lonely, and her father arranged for her to meet a cowherd on the other side of the river named Hikoboshi. The two fell into love at first sight."

"Aw, that's a cute story," Phoenix commented, but Miles shushed him and said, "The story doesn't end there."

"They spent their days happily together, but as they did, Orihime's loom lay abandoned, and Hikoboshi's cows roamed all over heaven as they pleased. The Heaven King was displeased, and he banished Hikoboshi back to his side of the river, forbidding the two to meet again."

"Oh no, that's horrible! What did they do after that?" Phoenix felt horrified at the plight of the lovers.

"This is the part that led to the formation of this festival," Miles informed him. "Orihime was heartbroken and cried a lot. Her father was moved by her tears and finally resolved to allow her to meet Hikoboshi again on the 7th day of the 7th month each year."

"Which is Tanabata Day!" Phoenix exclaimed, piecing it together.

"That's correct," Miles confirmed.

"Wow, that was really romantic," Phoenix commented. Miles chuckled.

"Really? I took it as a lesson to never neglect one's duties," Miles told him with a wry smile. "So did that inspire anything?"

"Yeah, it did, thanks Miles," Phoenix went and scribbled something on his slip. When he finished, he hung it up on the bamboo next to Miles's.

"So what is it you wished for?" Miles inquired, leaning in to look at the paper with Phoenix. The spiky-haired boy turned to look at his friend.

"I wished for a happy ending for all the people who get separated from those they love," he explained. Miles glanced at him casually.

"That was remarkably sentimental. I had no idea you had that in you," he replied. Phoenix looked troubled.

"Wouldn't you be sad if you fell in love and got separated from that person? A year takes forever to finish. I'd be heartbroken like Orihime too," Phoenix said. Miles faltered in his response.

"I wouldn't know. I haven't experienced any of that yet," he replied, frowning. Phoenix sat back and leaned on the other boy's shoulder, where Miles allowed him to stay. "Your hair tickles…" Miles murmured to him. Phoenix closed his eyes, feeling sleepy.

"Miles, I hope you never become Hikoboshi."

"…Same with you, Phoenix."

Phoenix's heart twisted at the memory. They were so innocent, the summer before hell descended upon them. Seven years later, and he and Edgeworth may as well have become Orihime and Hikoboshi reincarnate. Just without the romance element.

"Niiick! Did you wait long?" Maya called. Phoenix looked up with a grin.

"Dang, Maya, you'd make Larry Butz look on time," he teased. Maya pouted at him. It was not a good thing to be worse than Larry at anything. Maya was wearing a purple kimono with pink cherry blossom patterns all over it, and a pale pink sash was tied around her waist. Phoenix offered his arm to Maya and they set off to enjoy the fair.

"Nick, let's play the goldfish game!" Maya urged, tugging him towards a stand labeled "Kudo's Goldfish" on their right. So Phoenix got out his wallet and paid for two nets. Maya took one, and they both gathered around the pool, eyeing the fish with determination.

"Hiyah!" Maya yelled, trying to scoop up a particularly fat one. The paper net broke, and the goldfish swam away sluggishly. "Aw, no! You give it a try, Nick." Phoenix rolled up his sleeve and swooped at a spotted fish, trying to tip it into his cup. Unfortunately, his net also ripped before he could accomplish getting the fish inside.

"Aw man, so close!" Phoenix bought another round, and the two tried again. They weren't successful this time, either. On the third round, Maya nudged Phoenix, indicating that they should team up this time.

"Okay, I'll catch a fish and bring it close to the surface, since I'm faster than you, and when the net's about to break, you get yours under mine and catch the fish in it," Maya instructed. They were poised above the pool, about to put their plan into action, when the stall owner caught them.

"Hey, you're not supposed to team up!" he yelled cantankerously, sniffing through his big red nose.

"Um, sorry, I had no idea it wasn't allowed," Phoenix apologized. The old man slammed his hand onto a sign hanging on one of the stand posts.

"Sure, you didn't. The rules are written right here!" the man ranted at them. Phoenix looked to Maya for support, but she looked completely overwhelmed. "For cheating, your punishment is this!" the man cried, as he took a fistful of birdseed and lobbed them at Phoenix.

"Owowow! Okay, I'm sorry! I promise not to do it again!" Phoenix yelped in pain. Who knew something as small as a seed could hurt so badly?! Phoenix and Maya retreated out of the old man's range of fire, and Maya drew Phoenix aside.

"I don't like this guy… We should totally do the opposite of what he says just to spite him!" Maya said deviously.

"Uhm, I don't think that's such a great idea… He'll be so mad if he catches us again," Phoenix tried to reason with her, but once Maya had gotten an idea in her head, there was no getting it out again. Maya pulled him back to the stand so they could finish the round.

"Right, once he turns the other way, we go with the plan from earlier," Maya whispered into Phoenix's ear. He nodded. The two watched the stall owner with hawk eyes, and the man finally looked away to sniff at something.

"Go!" Maya quickly corralled a goldfish and brought it up, where Phoenix was ready in waiting to catch the fish and tip it into a bowl. The fish went in with a plop and splash.

"Yeah! Got one!" Maya yelled. The old man looked back in surprise.

"That was fast, young'un, congrats." Maya winked as Phoenix tipped the goldfish into the plastic bag being held out to them.

"Thank you, sir," Phoenix said slyly, as he and Maya left the stand walking backwards. The two ran out into the street again laughing like maniacs.

"That was great! He didn't know what hit him," Maya exclaimed mischievously, slapping Phoenix on the back.

When the pair had finally stopped laughing, they realized that there was a bluesy harmonica riff being carried on the wind.

"Wow, Nick, what's that sound?" she cocked her head, trying to hear better and figure out where the sound was coming from.

"I think it's over in that direction…" Phoenix suggested, guiding Maya in the direction music was originating from. They found the harmonica player tending a stand labeled 'NOODLE' that was essentially a cart parked between two other stands.

"Oh boy, a noodle stand! I haven't eaten for three whole hours, so I'm starved. Let's go, Nick," Maya announced, already moving towards the stand. Phoenix stood staring after her with his jaw hanging open. Maya could out-eat him any day, and it always surprised him, though he knew it well.

"Hello there, Missy, what'll it be?" the noodle guy asked Maya. She turned to Phoenix as he approached, with drool running down her chin.

"It smells amazing! Want anything, Nick?" she offered. Phoenix shrugged. "One bowl of ramen, please," he ordered.

"Make that two!" Maya piped up. The middle-aged man slammed two steaming hot bowls on the counter before them, and the pair sat down to eat.

"Two bowls of salty ramen for the Porcupine-head and the Missus," the man said brusquely. Phoenix choked on his noodles, spewing broth on the counter. The man wiped up the mess on the counter with an unamused look.

"What's wrong, Nick?" Maya asked, patting Phoenix on the back as he coughed.

"N-nothing…" Other than being mistaken as a couple with his best friend and being called a porcupine, everything was fine. After getting control of his lungs again, the two settled back down to eat. The noodles were pretty good, despite being somewhat too salty.

Maya slurped up her first bowl happily and shortly asked for seconds. The noodleman chuckled as he set a new bowl before her.

"Mister, these noodles are so good!" she complimented in between scarfing her second dinner down.

"Thanks a bunch, Missy," the man replied, beaming from ear to ear. Maya studied the man a bit, rolling a thought back and forth in her mind.

"Say, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before," she mused. "Have we met, Mister?" The older man hmm'd in contemplation. He looked almost serious under the strange bowl hat he wore.

"I make rounds in the city during lunch hours, and I've served noodles to all sorts of people. Businessmen, students, tourists, you name it. Maybe that's it?" he supplied, but Maya shook her head after giving it some thought.

"No… I feel like it's something else…" she pursed her lips. The stall keeper actually appeared worried, chewing on a strand of noodle dangling from his hat. "I'd never forget places where I've had good food." The man smiled again at the compliment.

"Oh well, I'm sure it's nothing," Maya concluded. She and Phoenix finished their meal and paid, getting up to explore again.

"Hey Maya, it's almost time for the show. We should probably head over now," Phoenix suggested.

"Okay Nick," she agreed, taking his arm and walking to the stage area. They turned down a corner when suddenly they heard someone shriek, "Niiiiiiiiiiiiick!" Phoenix let out a 'oomph!' as someone tackled him heavily from behind.

"Nick! I didn't think I'd find you here. It's great to see you, buddy," the hyperactive teen yelled. Phoenix looked up dizzily, already knowing who it was.

"Hey Larry… good to see you too," he wheezed.

"Larry! What are you doing here?" Maya asked happily. Larry winked and gave her a thumbs up with his free hand.

"Maya-baby, as cute as ever, I see," he flirted. "I'm here with my lovely girl Cindy on a date." Phoenix smiled at the girl who was a model and his very first client. In fact, Cindy Stone had met Larry because of Phoenix, in a way. The idiot had barged into club in a badly timed attempt to congratulate Phoenix on becoming a host, as well as express his endless jealousy. Or perhaps it had been perfect timing, as Larry and Cindy had fallen for each other on the spot.

"So we meet again, Mr. Wright," Cindy said with a cool smile. Larry stole a kiss on her cheek.

"Keep your eyes on me, baby, not that guy," Larry told her flirtatiously. She actually giggled at his antics. Thanks, Larry, some friend you are, Phoenix thought sarcastically.

The four joined up as a group, continuing on to the show, with Phoenix and Larry chatting in the front.

"Enjoy the fair so far, Nick?" Larry asked. Phoenix nodded.

"We tricked an angry goldfish guy and ate some ramen," Phoenix summarized, causing Larry to guffaw and compliment him on 'dining and dashing.' "No, Larry, it was the other way around…" Phoenix tried correcting, but he went ignored. Larry's attention span was truly atrocious.

"Say, Nick, doesn't this remind you of the time we went to a fair when we were kids?" Larry mentioned offhandedly. Phoenix looked at him in surprise. Larry's face was as goofily happy as ever, taking in the sights.

"Yeah, I was actually thinking about it earlier," he admitted.

"Yeah, right?" If only Edgey were here with us," Larry expressed. He pouted out his lip, saying, "Can you believe he just stopped talking to us? That's cold, man, cold…"

"That's for sure," Phoenix muttered under his breath.

The four arrived at the open air theater and sat on the grass to watch the show. It wasn't bad, in Phoenix's opinion. The Evil Magistrate had summoned demons to kidnap the Pink Princess. When the Steel Samurai went to do battle with the demons, they appeared to him as his fears and regrets, almost doing in the mighty metal warrior. But the Steel Samurai was able to overcome the demons' illusions with his undying love for the Pink Princess, and the two were reunited, taking down the Evil Magistrate together.

Maya and Larry were just off the wall after the show had ended, providing more entertainment yet for Phoenix and Cindy. The pairs eventually said goodbye and separated to go home. Phoenix escorted Maya to where her driver was waiting.

"Thanks for coming with me, Nick, I had a great time," Maya said sleepily. She gave Phoenix a warm hug. "I wish you'd tell me what's wrong so I can help you. Even guys like the Steel Samurai need help sometimes," she murmured against his chest.

"I know, Maya," he answered. They let go of each other and Phoenix helped her into the car, saying good night.

* * *

Omake?

Klavier was having a great time at the Steel Samurai fair. He was there with Apollo Justice, after he had successfully gotten the no-nonsense host to get out and just have fun for once. Klavier grinned at the memory.

Apollo had been washing cups in the club's kitchenette at the end of the day when Klavier had made his move. He came in and leaned on a nearby cabinet, waiting for the younger teen to notice him. The younger host paused when he noticed Klavier's shadow appear over the sink and looked up curiously.

"Hey Mr. Gavin, what's up?" he asked, not even making a break in his steady rhythm of work. Klavier flashed him a winning smile.

"Herr Apollo, you don't happen to like Steel Samurai, do you? There's a fair going on tonight, and you should come with me," Klavier insisted. He took out a poster for the event and held it up for Apollo to see. "There'll be good food, games, entertainment, and fireworks at the end."

A strangely wistful look came over Apollo's face, and he took a corner of the poster in a soap covered hand. He stared at the pictures of people in traditional costumes with a misty look.

But he drew his hand back, and said, "No, I don't really like that kind of show…" Klavier frowned and blinked nervously a little. He was used to getting turned down when asking guys to fun activities, but…

"But… I haven't been to any fairs for so long. I'd like to go with you, Mr. Gavin," Apollo added quietly. Klavier grinned.

And that was how Klavier found himself on an outing with the younger host, but he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of disappointment that he couldn't quell. Apollo had brought his little sister with them, in fact, he had mainly agreed to come for her benefit. Klavier loved hanging out with girls, in fact, the more the merrier, and Trucy was just the most adorable thing ever, but still, the strange unwelcome feeling remained.

Klavier was wearing a deep purple kimono with silver chrysanthemums adorning it, in costume along with most of the Steel Samurai fans present, but Apollo and Trucy were in their usual patched up street clothes. Trucy's clothes seemed old, but any repair work on it was seemingly done with a lot more care than the quick work on Apollo's. Klavier wondered who did the stitching, if they didn't handle their own clothes separately.

"Thank you for treating us, Mr. Gavin, we really appreciate it," Apollo said, actually smiling brightly. Even the relatively dreary host was enjoying himself that night, looking around at the stalls excitedly. "Trucy, remember to thank Mr. Gavin."

"Thanks, Mr. Gavin," Trucy chirped, smiling even more brightly and bouncing up and down on her heels. She looked positively ready to take off into the sky the first moment her brother took his eyes off of her.

"You're welcome, Fraulein," he replied, taking her hand and kissing it. "Please, call me Klavier." Trucy giggled and blushed, while Apollo glanced over and scowled.

"Klavier, it sounds dreamy," she said aside to her brother. "Is Klavier a prince, Polly?" Apollo rolled his eyes, knowing what the host was really like.

"Of sorts, but not the kind that lives in a castle and wears shining armor," he replied wryly.

"Mm, I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you, Herr Forehead?" Klavier teased, sending a wink at the purposefully oblivious teen. Instead, Apollo turned to his sister and asked, "Do you remember the fireworks festivals we used to go to?"

"Mmhm, Daddy would lift me up on his shoulders so I could see. We were so short back then," she joked.

"Yeah…" Apollo agreed. His smile was bittersweet, but the two reached for each others' hands and linked them together. Klavier felt another surge of jealousy. He had always wanted a sibling to do things like this with.

"Where should we go next, Mr. Gavin?" Apollo called to him.

"Hmm, let's go meet the Steel Samurai himself. I can see him wandering around giving autographs down that way," he suggested. Trucy linked her other arm around Klavier's, and the three went over to the street that the warrior was on.

The Steel Samurai turned to Trucy, who was awaiting her turn for an autograph, and suddenly said, "Why, if it isn't Trucy and Apollo. Greetings from Neo Olde Tokyo!" Apollo let out an undignified squawk in shock.

"H-how did you know our names?!" he screeched. The warrior of steel chuckled at him.

"You don't recognize me at all?" the samurai sneakily lifted his mask to reveal some of his face.

"Mr. Powers! Hello!" Trucy greeted him. This really only served to make Apollo even more shocked.

"Th-the gym teacher is the Steel Samurai?" Apollo gasped faintly. Trucy knocked on his forehead impatiently.

"Yeah, Apollo, don't you remember me telling you that rumor about Mr. Powers? Hmph, I _knew _you weren't actually listening!" Trucy huffed. Apollo groaned, and Mr. Powers laughed at his former student, pulling his mask back in place. The man took the autograph paper from Trucy and signed it to his excellent students.

"Citizens, I hope you continue to excel in your physical education," he boomed, handing it back and doing a choppy nod.

"See you tomorrow, Mr. Powers," Trucy said, and they left to make room for the fans waiting behind them.

"So, you happen to know _the _Steel Samurai personally?" Klavier asked the two.

"Yeah, Mr. Powers is the same Steel Samurai you see on TV. He loves kids, though, so he ended up taking a job as a gym teacher at my school. Isn't he cool?" Trucy explained.

"Yeah-" Klavier started to answer back, but at that moment, someone bumped into his shoulder.

"Pardon me," the mysterious stranger excused. Klavier stared at the individual. He looked extremely suspicious, with a mask covering his entire face. Black or gray hair peeked out from around the edges of the mask, reflecting the orange lantern lights.

"Do I know you from somewhere?" Apollo asked the strange man clad in a dark burgundy kimono. The stranger seemed startled for a moment, shaking his head.

"No, I don't believe so," he answered in a suspiciously familiar muffled voice. "If you'll excuse me, I must be on my way." And the stranger ran off into the crowd.

After rounding a corner, the man pulled his mask off, taking in a breath of fresh air. Edgeworth knew he shouldn't have come tonight. The chances of him being spotted and recognized were dangerously high, but… he just _had _to meet the Steel Samurai himself in person!

Edgeworth smiled as he got onto the line for an autograph. It was always worth it in the end.

* * *

A/N: Edgeworth's mother is named Veronique after Gregory Peck's 2nd wife of almost 50 years... I thought it was suitable because 1. Gregory Edgeworth was probably named after the actor for Atticus Finch (Peck), hell, he even resembles the actor! 2. it seems sweet to me lol

Lksdjfl I wanted to have Maya and Nick go to a fireworks festival, but I realized those are only in the summer, so I MADE MY OWN FESTIVAL UP, OKAY D8  
I don't ship Nick and Maya at all, but I really felt like there had to be a Nick and Maya moment, because they care about each other so much :3

I'm ignorant about Japanese culture, so I had to do lots of research… I went with the Wikipedia version of Orihime and Hikoboshi, but feel free to correct me. Btw, I bet that bamboo grove the kids picked was cursed! Only to be broken by true love's first k- just kidding!


	7. Trust in Turnabout 4

A/N: Right, people, the next chapter will be late, because I'm moving on the 20th. For now, please enjoy this chapter, and I'll write while I travel XD

Soooooo much Edgeworth-centrism here... slkdflsd can't wait for the next chapter myself XD

Ramblinkat: I love replying to people, more so when they give me such quality reviews! :D yes, I've heard that NOT planning for a story leads to chaos X_X  
XDDD you'll see when Godot's arc comes up. Lol, writing Larry was funny. I have another idea for what he can do later, which hopefully I'll use. Often, things get scrapped, and I rewrite entire segments ^^' Haha, I can't think of anything more appropriate for Gumshoe, really XD oooooh, not all of them are cameos... *hinthint* I'm so glad you caught that about Edgey's mom XD I wanted to hint without saying it outright YET lol, and it turns out it's priceless to see people going "I know what's going on!" for my stories XD  
Well, Ramblinkat, I present to you your storm.

* * *

Edgeworth was huddled under a desk, hiding. Blood pooled all over the floor around him, rapidly spreading. The boy shook, wanting to reach out for the body before him, _needing to_, but he couldn't. He was frozen.

Footsteps drew nearer, ominously echoing on the tiles. Edgeworth tried to keep quiet as a pair of legs appeared before his hiding place, hiding the body from view. The man paused to examine the man collapsed on the floor, make sure he was really dead. And then he turned around, knees bending…

Phoenix?

"Edgeworth, let me help you," the man was calling. But he sounded so far away, and Edgeworth still remained frozen and mute. "I can't help you if you keep shutting me out," he called again, more urgently this time. Phoenix reached out and tried to grab Edgeworth's hand, but everything zoomed away into the darkness, leaving Edgeworth alone. He stood up slowly, feeling the close invisible walls crowding him in. There was no way out.

And then the shaking started.

Terrible shaking, everything rumbled, and metal shrieked and groaned.

The boy dropped into a little ball, trying to shut it all out until the darkness claimed him again.

Edgeworth bolted upright, gasping for breath. Where was he? He looked around desperately, trying to take in his surroundings.

Desk and chair, wardrobe, his ghost-like face in a mirror, expansive white ceiling, window letting in the evening sun.

Edgeworth's breathing slowed its rapid race as he realized he was back in his bedroom. It had only been a dream. The teen wiped his face, then got up from his bed to enter the adjoining bathroom. He was drenched in sweat and needed to splash his face with water.

Inside, he turned on the tap, dousing himself with cool liquid relief. Edgeworth regarded his haggard appearance in the mirror balefully. His reddened eyes were sunken into his pale face, and his hair stuck out of place at odd angles.

What had that dream been all about? The premises were all too familiar to Edgeworth, but this time something was very different. When that man had bent down to check under the desk, Edgeworth should have seen an entirely different face. Why had it been Phoenix? Edgeworth scowled. He wasn't in to omens, but it most likely meant that Phoenix's help would be a scourge to him should he ever allow it. Someone knocked on the bedroom door, and Edgworth left the bathroom to see who it was.

"Ah, Gumshoe? Was there something you needed?" The older butler had his usual frown of deep worry that accompanied accidents and bad news from the man.

"Master Edgeworth, Sir, I was cleaning up a bit in one of the nearby guest rooms, and I heard shouting coming from your room," he explained apologetically. "Is everything okay?"

Edgeworth sighed and ran his hand through his already messy hair. "I'm fine, Gumshoe. I fell asleep earlier and had an unpleasant dream," he answered dismissively. Go away, nothing to see here.

But the man didn't leave. Gumshoe hesitantly asked to come inside anyway. Edgeworth relented, hoping to put the man at ease. So Gumshoe sat on the mattress, and Edgeworth shifted his desk chair to face the butler.

"Sir, have you been having those nightmares again?" Gumshoe asked him. There was no need to specify which ones. Edgeworth nodded regretfully, not wanting to lie to the faithful servant.

"Well, no offense, Master Edgeworth, Sir, but I thought you'd stopped having them years ago…" Gumshoe admitted. Edgeworth knew it. After a few months of having the nightmares, he'd realized that the butler was able to rush in and comfort him every time because the man camped outside of Edgeworth's door every night.

Feeling guilty, Edgeworth had spent the next few weeks fighting sleep at night and catching up on rest during the day, until he had tricked Gumshoe into returning to his room down a corridor on the floor below. But the reality was that he still dreamed about those horrific events, though they had lessened in frequency.

"You know, Sir, my family has served the Edgworths for a real long time. I've known your parents my whole life, and you since you were born. I wish you wouldn't hide things like this to yourself. You know, lean on me some more, Sir. I'm real reliable, right?" Gumshoe tried convincing the master of the house.

"Thank you for the offer, but there isn't anything to talk about, Gumshoe. Today was a mere fluke, triggered by things that have happened to me recently. It won't happen again," Edgeworth insisted icily. He hated this weakness, allowing himself to be tormented by phantoms in the night.

Gumshoe looked away to the side, sighing heavily. The usually gullible butler wasn't to be fooled this time. Gumshoe went with his gut, every time, no matter how many mistakes had come of it, Gumshoe followed it without fail, on the strong hunch that it would be right some of the time. And now, it was telling him that there was much more happening than what his master was letting on.

"Like I said, I've known you ever since you were a baby. Master Edgeworth, what happened to the kid who'd make jokes about my mistakes and play games with me?" Gumshoe asked pleadingly, like there was some kind of tragedy about it.

"…It's called growing up, Gumshoe. I'm 17 now. You can't surely expect me to still behave like a small child," Edgeworth answered caustically, rolling his eyes. Gumshoe looked at him sadly. That wasn't it for him.

"No… the Miles Edgeworth I knew is gone. You… you used to enjoy the small things, sure you were a serious kid back then, too, but you'd find lots of stuff to laugh about too," Gumshoe insisted relentlessly. "And... You weren't nearly as closed off... As stoic and calm as you've always prided yourself on being, whenever you saw anything wrong at school, you'd come home, straight to your father, and demand to know why there's injustice."

"Hmph... I was too naive to know that far more serious crimes existed outside the realm of the school yard," Edgeworth snorted in contempt.

"The point is, now you never share any of your feelings anymore, even though there're still things that make you mad, I know it," the butler whimpered. "Sir, is it- is this all because he's gone?"

"...I doubt that losing one person to confide in would cause anyone to not have anyone else to talk to," Edgeworth bit back dully. Please, stop talking about him, please...

"But it does matter! I know that there wasn't anyone in the whole wide world that you looked up to more than your father, and there still isn't," Gumshoe pressed.

"Stop it... Don't speak of him anymore. He has passed away, now, nothing to do with Father matters anymore," Edgeworth pleaded weakly. He clutched his arm tightly, as if with a vain hope that that pain would nullify a greater one.

"Master Edgeworth... You're still in pain over his death seven years ago. If he's really as in the past as you say he is, then please talk to me about it so you can finally heal and move on!" Gumshoe demanded forcefully.

"Talking does nothing. Only my own actions can carry me forwards," Edgeworth resolved, still resisting. "There is nothing more to be said here. Now I'd appreciate it if you didn't waste any more of my time, Gumshoe." The butler got up to show himself out, looking as bewildered as if Edgeworth had taken his boot to him to get him out.

"Then do something! You can't stay like this, Sir. If you haven't made any progress for seven years, then this'll haunt you to your grave!" Gumshoe was so angry that he essentially left shaking his fist at his master.

-AHC-

Apollo dozed at his seat, trying to get a few more precious minutes of rest before school started. He'd stayed at the fair with Klavier and Trucy for a lot longer than he had anticipated, and then he spent the morning trying to convince his sister to wake up and get ready for school. He always had to wake up earlier himself, in order to make breakfast and lunch, fix his hair (when _had_ he started caring about it so much?), and walk to Gyakuten Academy on time.

Apollo was knocked out of his daze by the sound of a chair scraping along the floor by his side. He picked his head up off his arms to see an equally groggy Maya slumping into her chair.

"Morning Ms. Fey… Late night yesterday?" Maya drearily turned and nodded listlessly. There were dark circles in her eyes, and she barely registered Apollo's presence.

"Urghhh… I stayed up too late. I feel like a zombie samurai now," she groaned, yawning loudly.

"Same here," Apollo moaned. "So, did you get anywhere with Mr. Wright yesterday?" Maya groaned even louder and covered her face with her hands.

"Don't even remind me… Nick refused to tell me anything." Maya pounded her fist on the desk in frustration. "I'm so worried, and gosh, I feel so useless, because I can't even help him while I don't know a thing!" Another bang drew Maya away from her hands. Apollo's fists were planted firmly on his desk. He was much more awake now and wore a stolid look on his face.

"Don't say that yet, Ms. Fey, this can't be everything. There's more things we haven't tried doing. I think we need to go further into the past, find someone who knew both of them before, when everything started," he argued with steely determination. Their problem was now his problem.

"Ah- wow, Apollo, even I hadn't thought of that…" Maya gasped. "I think I know who to ask for help… Good thing I happen to know the one person Nick'll listen to, without question." Maya winked, the fire back in her determination.

"Who? His mom?" Apollo asked, amazed.

"No, silly!" Maya yelled, slapping Apollo on the arm. "You'll see who it is, just be patient."

-AHC-

Monday rolled around again. Edgeworth was slogging through the first school day of the week, a prelude for the four days following before the next weekend. However, Edgeworth preferred weekdays overall, as school provided a decent distraction, if not a relatively unchallenging one.

Sometimes he fancied that he was waiting for something more than the next weekend, for something specific to happen. On rare occasions, Edgeworth would try to imagine what comprised this specific event. Could it be the day he becomes an adult? The day he inherits his family's company? Perhaps the moment he falls in love for the first time, even? Or maybe it was his inevitable passing, on the other hand? However significant, nothing seemed quite exactly it, if there was even a wait to begin with.

Whatever it was, Edgeworth had been carrying on in this way for approximately seven years without end. And now, after his enduring, the wheels of fate were finally and subtly turning to put in place the moment Edgeworth had been waiting for.

A textbook and notebook spilling with papers tried to bludgeon Edgeworth's desk to death. Edgeworth sighed. He had completed three quarters of the school day without a hitch, and he should have known that karma would not allow him to get away as easily from chemistry class.

"How may I be of service to you, Ema?" he asked politely.

Ema Skye was glaring at him uncertainly, caught between making civil conversation, or insulting him and leaving.

"Usually I work on lab questions with my partners," she stated sullenly. Key word being 'usually.'

"And is there anything that would make this situation different?" Edgeworth asked. Ema gave him a sharp look.

"I tried working on them by myself this time, but there's still one or two questions I don't get..." she admitted with a slight tinge of pink indicating her embarrassment. "I know I could have asked the teacher too, but you know how anal he is..." She looked to the side with a pout before asking, "Help me with the questions... please?"

"It's a pleasure to offer you my assistance, Ema," Edgeworth assented. She made a sarcastic sound, despite seeming a little relieved at making the first step.

"Sure, I'll bet you say that to every girl at the fop club," she grumbled.

"The what club?" Edgeworth was confused, because he wasn't in any clubs besides the host club.

"I mean host club, whatever you call it. Everybody in it behaves like a fop, glimmering like those vampires in that book series... It's so fake."

"Hmm. Well, since you know that I don't have any time for other activities after school, I ask that you sign up for the earliest available time slot, for my convenience. I won't make you leave after time is up, so feel free to work at your own pace," Edgeworth said, unfazed by the comments.

"Right... Thanks..." Ema answered reluctantly. She gave Edgeworth a final glare before hefting up her things and leaving for her next class.

Edgeworth got up too. He wasn't aware of how much he'd miss her making the same request enthusiastically, how she'd smile before running off. But those were both signs, weren't they? Overall, Edgeworth was angriest at himself for not recognizing Ema's true feelings and his subsequent failure to distance himself before she got hurt.  
Edgeworth carried himself to his next class in a daze, unable to think of anything else as he sat down.

Two years ago... "Thanks for agreeing on coming to Gatewater Land with me!" Ema smiled, with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"It was no problem, Ema, think nothing of it," Edgeworth replied mechanically. As world-weary as he was, Edgeworth was a gentleman, and it was simply rude to turn down the innocent request of a lady if there was nothing to bar him from carrying out the request. Besides, Ema was something like the closest thing to a friend that he had had for several years.

Ema grabbed his hand and, before he would get it back, pulled him along by the hand to the park entrance, where an individual in a garish costume stood with a welcome sign. The person in the blue getup waved at them as they drew near.

"Look, Mr. Edgeworth, it's the Blue Badger! Hey there, Mr. Badger!" Ema exclaimed, waving back. Edgeworth glared at the thing's freakish bug-eyed stare, feeling only a little sorry that the employee had such a ridiculous job. How could anyone possibly find this sort of hideous mascot appealing?

"Here's a map of the attractions, Mr. Edgeworth," Ema said, handing him a foldout leaflet depicting the park. "Where should we go first?" Edgeworth glanced at the map. He noted that there was a stadium with scheduled shows by popular performers, and after checking the schedule, he quickly figured out an efficient way to cover as many attractions as possible.

"The next show is not for another hour, so we could go walk around in the Wild, Wild West, then attend the show. After that, we can visit whichever attraction at our leisure," he elaborated briskly.

"Sounds good to me, Mr. Edgeworth!" Ema agreed. She reached for his hand again, which he hesitantly allowed her to take again, not wanting to be rude. As they left the premises of the entrance, Edgeworth couldn't help but feel like someone was watching them. He turned his head to look back and spied that darned badger again. It looked a little different, more disturbing in a way. He wasn't sure if its eyes were that hollow looking when he saw it earlier. Edgeworth shivered and hastened Ema onwards.

Ema and Edgeworth arrived at a section of the amusement park with buildings styled to look like they came out of an American Western film. There were some cafes that looked like bars, a garage door painted over with horses behind a wooden gate, a sheriff's office, shooting games, and even cactuses. Ema headed straight for the shooting range, surprising Edgeworth a little.

"This looks like fun, let's try it out!" Ema waltzed over to the Pink Badger, who was managing the game. "Two people, please." Edgeworth stuttered.

"Ah, Ema, I can't… I'd rather sit this out," he excused himself. Guns. They made him nervous. Ema turned to look at him with a bit of disappointment.

"You sure, Mr. Edgeworth?" she asked. Edgeworth blinked slowly.

"I am, sorry." Very sure.

So Ema changed her request to just one player, and the badger slammed the buttons to start up the shooting game for her in a surly manner. As Ema picked up a toy rifle, Edgeworth couldn't help but notice that the Pink Badger was brandishing a laser gun, something that didn't _quite _fit in with the setting.

The girl took shots at an army of Bad Badger cardboard cutouts, knocking them over with BB gun pellets from time to time, quite often in fact. Color Edgeworth surprised, Ema was pretty handy with a gun. After a few minutes, the game called time came to a stop. Ema had knocked over a total of 52 badgers, so the Pink Badger reached up for a Pink Princess doll, emitting some loud crack and grumble, and tossed it to Ema.

"Whoo! I got the Pink Princess prize? Nice!" Ema was elated with her new toy and newfound rifle skills. Secretly, Edgeworth was a little jealous, because the Pink Princess doll was surprisingly well crafted, if he said so.

Suddenly, the cantankerous badger pointed at a sign towards the back at them. 'Closed from 10-10:30am, 2-2:30pm, and 6-6:30pm.' Right now it was about 1:57.

"Oh, I see, you have to close shop for now," Ema stated. The Pink Badger nodded at the obvious, and shut the metal blinds in their faces. Apparently the pinker a badger was, the more uncouth it became.

"Hm, perhaps we can start walking back towards the stadium now," Edgeworth said. Ema nodded and led him in the direction of the center of the park. But before they could make more than a few steps, Edgeworth heard something fall over behind him. His head whipped around, trying to locate the noise, and a lone barrel rolled about on the dusty deserted street. The barrel couldn't have tipped over by itself, and Edgeworth looked around, trying to find what had knocked it over. Nothing.

He and Ema left the Wild, Wild West, feeling somewhat more disconcerted than before. It was starting to seem less and less like something from Edgeworth's imagination.

Suddenly, gunshots rang out in the air, and several park-goers screamed in alarm. The gunman jumped out from some bushes before them, waving his handgun around threateningly. Edgeworth knew he should have gotten out of the way and found somewhere to hide, get Ema to safety, but he just couldn't. He effectively crumpled, falling to the floor in fetal position, covering his ears. Ema had ended up on the ground with him, wrapping her arms around him protectively. She was shouting something at him, but whatever it was, Edgeworth was unable to process it.

"_Stay away from Master Edgeworth!_" someone bellowed, ramming into the gunman at full force. The two tumbled to the ground, wrestling. Hearing his name, Edgeworth looked up and was shocked at what he saw. Gumshoe was trying to land punches on the gunman, who had apparently snuck into the park by dressing as a badger.

More badgers jumped from the foliage where they had been hiding and ran to the brawlers. The three pulled Gumshoe away from the first badger, who looked rather worse for wear. Gumshoe was panting hard and struggled to get free, but the Blue Badger said something to him that eventually calmed him down.

"G-Gumshoe…? What's going on here?" Edgeworth asked shakily. Ema tried to comfort him by putting rubbing his back gently, but he flinched, still too in shock to control his reactions. Slowly, he removed himself from her embrace.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth, I was trying to explain to you before, but they hold regular special events at Gatewater Land, where the Blue Badger and his family have a showdown against his nemesis, the Bad Badger… who that scruffy looking guy just tackled… Do you know him? He yelled your name earlier," Ema explained worriedly.

"O-oh…" Why did they have such heart attack inducing shows? "Yes, the man over there is my butler, actually…" Edgeworth collected his wits, now that there was nothing to fear, and made his way to his butler unsteadily.

"Gumshoe," he called sternly, as a proper master should.

"M-Master Edgeworth! Sorry, I tackled the guy because I thought it was a real gun and that you were in danger," he apologized meekly. Edgeworth could not fault him, as he had believed the gun was real too.

"No matter, Gumshoe…" he sighed. But then he furrowed his brow. "Wait, what are you even doing here? You haven't been tailing me, have you?" Edgeworth glared at the bumbling butler in suspicion.

"Uh, well, you see…" he fidgeted. "Yeah," he admitted, slumping his shoulders. Edgeworth facepalmed and sighed at the man's antics.

"Gumshoe, that isn't necessary in the slightest. You're only causing trouble here," he scolded. But the butler seemed on the verge of crying, so he added, "Just go on some rides, enjoy yourself. Keep yourself out of trouble, and I'll call you when I plan to leave. That will be all."

"Really? If you say so, pal," the butler said, beaming from being let off the hook and getting a free day off.

"Just get out of here," Edgeworth glowered, pointing in a random direction that wasn't here. Gumshoe happily complied, and Edgeworth let out a frustrated puff of air. He turned to the badgers to apologize. "I'm very sorry for the inconvenience my butler has caused. If there is any way I can compensate for the trouble, please let me know." But the Bad Badger just waved him off, like the badass he apparently was, and the Blue Badger gave him a thumbs up before shaking his hand.

Edgeworth walked back to Ema, who was looking on with concern.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "You kinda panicked back there…" 'Kinda' was an understatement, really. Complete shutdown was more apt. Edgeworth berated himself for collapsing so easily, resolving to have better resistance in the future.

"Yes, I'm fine," he hissed. "Let's just go to the stadium. Think no more of it, Ema." He actually forced himself to let his hand ghost over her shoulder blade to get her to walk again. The girl's eyes were glued to the floor unhappily, as she was unable to discard the images of a vulnerable Miles Edgeworth on the ground. Edgeworth sighed, feeling badly about it. "Come on, Ema, the performers here today are the famous Gramarye Troupe. If you don't get rid of that frown, the magicians will make it disappear for you." Ema looked up and laughed at Edgeworth's rare joke. She looked a little better.

In the stadium, the stands weren't as packed as Edgeworth had imagined they'd be, so the two were able to sit close to the front. The legendary troupe had a long history, but it was probably losing its renown after so much time. When the magicians had gotten some ways into their act, Edgeworth could tell why. Only two of the original magicians remained. Edgeworth had gone to several Gramarye shows with his parents and the butler's family as a child, and back then, there had been two other magicians, an old man, and a lovely lady. Despite the thrill of watching Zak and Valant make a badgermobile appear onstage from thin air, it didn't quite have the same old feel.

Ema was completely ecstatic, though listening to her try to explain away each trick with some kind of scientific phenomenon was a little distracting.

"Hey, they don't use science, it's _real _magic!" a young girl piped up angrily from the row in front of them. She must have been a hardcore fan, because she was dressed in a pink magician's outfit very similar to Zak's.

"There's no such thing as magic, silly little girl," Ema scowled uncharacteristically. _She _was a hardcore fan of science. Edgeworth wanted to hide, because he couldn't believe Ema was actually starting a fight with a little girl in the middle of a performance.

"T-Trucy, leave her alone, Dad'll probably get mad if you interrupt the show," the boy sitting next to the girl gulped. He had cropped dark brown hair over a fairly sizeable forehead, and a sort of resemblance to the girl, so he was probably her brother.

"But she's saying that there's no such thing as magic, and that Daddy and Uncle are doing cheap tricks!" Trucy retorted.

"That's because magic tricks are illusions. There's always a scientific explanation behind everything," Ema insisted unhelpfully.

"Ema, please stop, you'll only make things worse," Edgeworth hissed, trying to keep them all quiet. They _were _in the front rows, after all.

"Y-yeah, let's just please stop fighting and enjoy the show…" the brother compromised weakly. In his aid, Zak seemed to send a glare in the midst of a trick at the four children in the front. The siblings seemed to sense it, and hurriedly turned around again to watch the show in good behavior. Edgeworth and Ema returned to the show as well, but Edgeworth couldn't help but survey the pair in front of him.

So they were the children of one of the magicians? Edgeworth tried to figure out who their father was, but neither quite resembled either of the kids. In fact… if he had to say, they bore the most resemblance to the lady who used to be in the troupe. It would be fascinating if it turned out that she had married one of her co-workers. But what was her name again…?

The Gramarye children sat close together, whispering comments on various tricks to each other intimately. The girl pointed at the levitating badgers above the stage in excitement, tugging at her brother's sleeve.

The show had been executed flawlessly, and Edgeworth was rather pleased by it. So was Ema, even though she insisted again that there were elaborate tricks being played behind the scenes. The Gramarye girl caught the comment and turned around, sticking her tongue out at Ema. Before Ema could see, the girl's brother pulled her away towards the backstage area, lightly scolding her.

"Right, Ema, I think you can give it a rest for today…" Edgeworth soothed wearily. "Where would you like to go now?"

"Um, oops, sorry Mr. Edgeworth. So, how about the Haunted House? That sounds exciting! Scientifically speaking," she suggested with a grin.

"Alright, Ema, let's go."

Edgeworth did _not _enjoy the Haunted House. There was a soundtrack being played on a loop in the house that was supposedly designed to be 'creepy,' but the creaks and buzzers accompanying an unrealistically placed tune of harpsichord and lurking bass tones really only served to hurt Edgeworth's head. Inside the house, it was dark and decrepit. Manufactured rubble on the ground was lit up by lamps that barely did their job for the house to be safe to navigate through. Periodically, mechanical bats and ghosts would swoop out on their rails to harass the pair as they passed through the hallway. Ema shrieked every time, despite not believing in ghosts, and she'd either duck and throw her hands over her head or clutch Edgeworth's arm.

"H-hey… isn't that the Blue Badger over there…?" Ema asked timidly. Edgeworth looked where she was pointing, and sure enough, there was a blue badger some distance ahead of them. Honestly, he couldn't tell which badger it was specifically. "Wh-why's he all slumped over like that?"

"I'm not certain," Edgeworth murmured unsurely. "Perhaps if we called out to it, the thing would respond. It may just be a lazy employee taking a nap. Hey, you there!" But the badger did not get up. It didn't respond at all.

Very suddenly, Edgeworth and Ema saw yet another badger disappear right before their eyes that day.

"Aaaaah! Let's get out of here!" Ema screamed, yanking Edgeworth back out the way they came from. To Edgeworth's amazement, they made it out in record time without tripping over any rubble. Blinking in the sunlight, Edgeworth paused to fix his appearance while Ema caught her breath. She was hanging onto his arm, laughing hysterically.

Edgeworth tentatively tapped her shoulder, asking, "Ema, are you alright?" It was all rather amusing, and even Edgeworth couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. Ema looked up at him. Her face was red, and her eyes shone from laughing so hard that she almost cried.

She planted her hands on the sides of Edgeworth's face, tugging him forwards and meeting him halfway.

What-

Edgeworth's mind completely shut down in panic. After an indeterminable amount of time, Edgeworth numbly shoved Ema away. Stumbling, he turned and ran, blindly colliding with strangers on the way. Edgeworth's mind singly commanded him to get away, and his body did the rest. He didn't stop until he was all the way home and safe in his room.

Edgeworth collapsed onto the bed, heart pounding and breath straining. He hadn't meant to leave Ema like that, but… he was uncomfortable with physical contact at best, and something as intimate as _that _was too much to handle.

But… it was a kiss, and kisses were what people did to others they liked, as in were attracted to, right? Following that line of logic, it meant that Ema had _feelings _for Edgeworth.

This was a disaster. Even if Edgeworth _had _felt anything similar towards Ema, he understood that relationships needed a level of trust and openness to work, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to let anyone inside again. He had learned that forming bonds with other people only led to pain in the end.

In the week that followed, Edgeworth's sense of unease grew. On Monday, he'd apologized to her, asked if she was feeling alright. She said yes, don't worry about it, and that she was sorry and shouldn't have done that. Tuesday, he greeted Ema as he passed by, but she looked away quickly after offering a weak smile. Wednesday, her avoidance was evident. Thursday, her cold shoulder started to disturb Edgeworth. Friday, she didn't show up to school at all.

So it was true. Ema had fallen for him, and she had taken his harsh rejection badly.

So Edgeworth spent the weekend in his room, laying on his bed, thinking about what he should do. He had hurt Ema, the first person to try to befriend him for a long time. And not only that, a single memory had been bothering him for an entire week...

'If one girl falls for you before this year is up, you have to join my host club.'

Edgeworth scowled. He shouldn't be making foolish bets in the first place. Karma seemed to just love watching him squirm.

But then again... There was no proof to say that Klavier had won. He could just as easily not bring it up, and he would be free of the host club. But... it didn't feel right, like it was actually Ema who would be cheated if he didn't fulfill his end of the bargain. What was he to do with her, even? Maybe if he forced himself to go out with her, he would feel something eventually, but that could possibly do more damage than help.

He groaned, hating himself for his habit of over thinking things.

Some time later, the door opened silently, and Lady Edgeworth came inside, sitting on the side of the bed.

"Miles, you've been cooped up in your room for the whole day, after I thought you had made progress last weekend when you went to a park with a girl," she remarked. Veronique began smoothing her son's hair soothingly. "Is something the matter?" Edgeworth closed his eyes, relaxing a little. His mother was one of the remaining people who he didn't recoil from when touched.

"No, it's nothing," he murmured. "There's just... a decision I have to make, and I am uncertain as to which is the best route to take.

"Hmm, in that case... Why don't you think about what your father would do?" his mother suggested. Edgeworth's brow furrowed. He didn't like thinking about father. Too much pain.

"Give it a try, Miles," she insisted when she saw his conflict. Knowing that her son liked to be alone while brooding over thoughts, she rose from the bed and made to leave the room, stopping by the door for a moment. "I'll leave you to your thoughts, Miles." The door slid shut silently.

Edgeworth lay there, thinking. Not like he really had to. His father was a man of honesty and integrity. Gregory Edgeworth had been the head of a Japanese national news empire, the _Himawari_. Under his supervision, no story would pass into public view without being thoroughly verified, even if there was a chance of losing a story to a competitor. _Himawari _had only been founded about 25 years ago as a humble local paper, but it was able to quickly climb to the top thanks to its absolute reliability.

However, its real specialty was its investigation of financial inconsistencies and reportage of business scandals. Gregory Edgeworth had an intuition like no other, and he had exposed many wrongdoings over the course of his career, carrying on to the very end. Miles Edgeworth's father would not stand for any injustices, no matter the cost.

In short, if Edgeworth backed out and lied about the outcome of the wager, he would be shaming the memory of his father.

Next week, at school, Edgeworth crossed the dining room with dreadful resolution. At the other end, Klavier Gavin and Daryan Crescend were sitting together, singing snatches of lyrics and bickering over papers they were probably composing a song on, while Daryan occasionally strummed a few experimental chords on a guitar he had somehow smuggled into school. But Edgeworth tried not to think about that. If he lost his will now, he may just never have the courage to come here again.

People looked up as he passed, more and more eyes staring up at him. Miles Edgeworth _never _approached anyone, never spoke to any student unless spoken to first. Everyone was watching for his next move. This was it. If Edgeworth made his promise here, then the entire school would know.

The entire room waited with bated breath, as Edgeworth stopped before the musical duo. Edgeworth started with an "I-", but his voice failed him, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

"Herr Edgeworth, you came back?" Klavier questioned, his clear blue eyes were wide with surprise.

"…Three months ago, we made a bet…" Edgeworth stated, slowly but audibly.

"Yes, that's correct… I remember it like it was yesterday," Klavier verified uncertainly, not sure of the outcome of this conversation, but hopeful.

"Last week, the bet was fulfilled, and you won," Edgeworth announced, closing his eyes. "I, Miles Edgeworth, promise to become a host upon the formation of the host club next year." _For her sake._ The subsequent reaction from the student body was deafening, but Edgeworth could only hear one thing.

"Thank you," Klavier answered, stressing each word with the movements of his lips. And that was how Edgeworth became the first host to join the Ace Host Club.

* * *

A/N: what the- why have my chapters all been having fun activities lately?! This story is uh, more on the angsty side at the moment, no thanks to Edgey XP  
Next chapter will return to the club, I promise ^^

Wow, first kiss of the story! And it ends badly… wtf  
I've never really gotten how Ema got so MOODY in the fourth game, so here's my version. ...I've seen what rejections can do to people..., and I've personally gotten shoved off of someone's shoulder... it was jarring ^^' but we're okay now and better friends, after managing to sort everything out in an impressively civil manner XD

…let's see if any of you can figure out Gregory Edgeworth's symbol, and why I picked it lol!


	8. Trust in Turnabout 5

A/N: askljfklds this isn't dead, it's just seriously on the backburner, or else I'll fail my classes DX

I'm really sorry to announce, but… on the list of most manageable workloads, my school ranks verrrrrrry very low… Plus I am an engineer-in-training and taking lots of credits this year, so snail-paced updates… on the other hand, here is an update, I've JUST finished my first round of tests, and I finally, FINALLY have a copy of Ace Attorney 1!

And another important announcement, after this, people can skip my chatter/notes and jump to after the first line division. Except you, Ramblinkat, read the bottom lolol.  
Okay, I have decided that I'm going to be alternating releases for a rewrite of arc 1 and new chapters for this current arc. For several reasons, one: I got stuck writing this chapter because it took me a while to make things work and I changed the setting halfway through (like I alwaysss do), two: I'm guilty of noob writing and cheating… the first arc was just so bad, and there's a specific key item that I need for the final confrontation of this arc, and I know where I can put it in the revised 1st arc to make it not come from nowhere…  
SO. If anyone has any objections to this, or thinks I should do something like repost the entire 1st arc AFTER I finish writing the whole 1st arc/whole story, PLEASE TELL ME NOW. Right, major important stuff over, please enjoy the update :D

As a side note… You know, I can totally picture Ema being Kat Stratford from 10 Things I Hate About You. Anybody see that? XD  
Another thing… I started watching Gankutsuou, which is this fantastic anime based off the Count of Monte Cristo. …I would not recommend it to anyone under 20, because it's sexually explicit X_X but I guess there's no harm in watching a short clip in English near the beginning, because frankly, I can now fully imagine Godot with the voice of the Count… *swoons* though if anyone watched Digimon 02, Oikawa has the same voice actor XD I bring this up because watching it inspired me for set up of the next arc… *sigh* so much to write, so little time…

GUYS, DID YOU SEE ACE ATTORNEY 5 NEWS?! OH MY FREAKING GOD. And with Phoenix in a waist coat, I can now safely not feel bad about writing a poor, and frankly long-time badly dressed character as a rich individual. And also, Capcom neglected to incorporate his wrinkles into his new 3D character model, so he looks just as young as ever… Y U do this to me, Capcom… I am a fan of too many 30+ year olds… JGL, Jay Chou, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, etc… just yikes X_X

Ramblinkat: URGH I'm even later X_X yeah, ikr T_T I've been sitting on the idea ever since I began revising this arc. It just ties everything so nicely… in a messy way X_X I hope flashbacks aren't bad ^^' otherwise I'll try to tone down on them lol but it's kinda like what makes AA majestic in my mind; everything started brewing years and years ago, coming together to form one mind blowing final case O_O yeah, I was like "wtf, whyyy is she so moody DX". Lol, maybe it's not. I had it show up once or twice, and it relates to the game-verse. Once I rewrite arc 1, it'll make yet another appearance, haha. Thank you for your continued support X3 I hope I didn't lose you or anybody else with my unintentional hiatus… sorry sorry sorry…

* * *

Ema entered Court Room Three, standing with one foot inside and the other in the hallway as she looked skeptically around for the host she was appointed to meet. The interior of the club room was a flurry of activity, as numerous students strolled about and chattered about the various ornaments on display. Normally, she wouldn't be caught dead in a place like this. Ema didn't appreciate superficial people, like the ones who frequented the host club and the hosts providing 'light entertainment,' but then again, she knew that even the ones who seemed deep were probably only putting on a show.

Ema sniffed disdainfully. How was she going to be able to concentrate on homework if everyone was making so much noise? Ema thought that conventional host clubs were supposed to have furniture set up like in cafes, but she grumpily noted that there didn't seem to be anywhere to sit, adding on to her sour mood. And where was Mr. Edgeworth, anyway?

Eventually, the girl stepped fully into the room to venture inside and find Mr. Edgeworth. She already wanted to leave. Ema wandered in between the people and display cases, glancing about for a hint of gray.

"Hello there, Fraulein. I have yet to behold a beauty such as yours... Is this your first time in this enchanted court?" Klavier purred. He sidled up to Ema to greet her as she passed, just as he did with every new guest. As Prince of Hosts, it was his duty to welcome every girl into the club and make her feel special.

But not this time.

"Mm, it's my _last_ time, too. Why don't you keep away from me, you _creepy fop_?" Ema scowled. Whoever this glimmerous weirdo was, she had no business with him, _thankfully_. Klavier squeaked almost inaudibly. Creepy _fop_?! Klavier froze in place, fading to the color of stone. Never, _ever_, had _the _Klavier Gavin been turned down by a _girl_. Women loved him, with all his charm and gentle sensitivity. This just wasn't happening!

Ema just passed him by, not giving a damn. She continued exploring, heading more towards the back of the court. Finally, she found Edgeworth, who briskly made his way to her side.

"Ah, Ema, there you are. I must apologize, we are currently holding the auction display, and the date slipped my mind. I would not have knowingly asked you here on a day like this," he apologized, giving her a subtle, wry smile. Ema decidedly returned a small frown.

"There isn't anywhere I can sit down to work, is there?" she asked in a business-like manner. The less she had to deal with annoyances, the better.

"There is, actually. Please come with me," he replied, turning around and heading still further back into the court. The club had small tables and chairs set up on the walkway available for patrons to rest at. The nearest auction items were some yards away, so there was a relative amount of restive atmosphere. Ema plonked onto a seat with a sigh of relief. Much better.

"Now… which questions did you need assistance with?" Edgeworth asked calmly.

"Oh, yeah, right here… I'm not sure how to get the number of moles in the diluted solution…" Ema replied, opening her notebook and pointing out the question.

Edgeworth glanced at the problem, which he was already familiar with, having finished the lab questions already. He explained it for her in a way that she'd be able to still figure out most of it for herself easily, after all, she wouldn't effectively learn anything if he simply told her how step by step.

"Ema… I must keep a presence on the display floor today, in case any guests ask after the items on auction. However, I will return and check up on you often," Edgeworth promised. Ema looked up in the middle of writing something down, barely sparing a glance for him.

"Whatever, just don't disappear on me, _like that other time_," she remarked in a dismissive manner. Edgeworth nodded, not missing the accusation. His throat felt dry, but he turned and got to work without another word. He deserved all of it, after all.

On his way across the floor, Edgeworth absently brushed by Klavier, who was still frozen in the middle of the room. Apparently this was his first time meeting Ema, or even any girl who shared her view of the male populace. Klavier had to have been standing there for several minutes by now, where he was discovered by Apollo, who had started to feel the slightest bit of concern after he realized that the head host had not moved for some time.

"Uh, Mr. Gavin… Mr. Gavin?" Apollo called, trying to wave in front of Klavier's eyes to snap him out of it. That earned him no response whatsoever. Apollo sighed, rolling up his shirt sleeves. "Hey, Mr. Gavin! Earth to Klavier!" Apollo tried once more, upping the volume on his so-called 'Chords of Steel.' Klavier still didn't respond, even to hearing his name, so Apollo just planted his hands on Klavier's shoulder, and shoved.

The petrified host teetered on his uneven footing, and toppled over heavily with a crash, like a pillar of stone.

"Gyah! Where am I?!" Klavier yelped, back in reality.

"You lost awareness for a while just because a girl didn't swoon over you," Apollo informed in an unamused way. Klavier put his hand to his head despairingly.

"Oh, ja… that was the very first time I have ever been turned down by a woman," he remarked emptily. Klavier rubbed his face, muttering incredulously, but then he snapped his fingers, looking smugger. "But it's fine. Do you know why, Herr Apollo?"

"…Because there's plenty more fish in the sea?" Apollo asked sardonically. Klavier looked puzzled.

"What fish? This has nothing to do with fish, Forehead," he insisted. "No, it's because I have _you _under my spell, my little Forehead. You admire my charms, don't you? Admit it, you were blushing the first time we met." Apollo flushed indignantly.

"That's because you were completely in my face, remember?" he steamed. "That was more from embarrassment than anything else!"

"But you liked that, didn't you? If you help me up, I'll give you a peck on your forehead," Klavier cooed, reaching his arms up and waggling his fingers expectantly. The young host spluttered and retreated to the corner of the room where he had decided to hang around, not really knowing enough about the items on auction to effectively help sell them.

"No, no, no, no, no," he squeaked. If his face got any redder than the school uniform, he'd probably pass out. Apollo darted behind a tall display case muttering, "He's just European," over and over under his breath.

In the other corner, Phoenix was wandering around the display cases as well. Honestly, he had forgotten to bring his copy of the records of the auction items, so he was trying his best to avoid questions for guests, because he wasn't experienced enough with valuable items and would be forced to bluff.

At the moment, he was staring at a deep blue cloth with kanji characters painted in elegant calligraphy on them. Frankly, Phoenix couldn't read a word of it. The cloth was fairly out of the way, so he spent time trying to guess what the words meant by comparing them to modern kanji he did know.

"I never thought I'd find a copy of '108 Ways to Save Money' at an auction for rich school kids." Phoenix whirled around in surprise to face the one who had just spoken.

"Mia…" he breathed, as if it were a sigh of relief. Mia Fey, Maya's older sister and Phoenix's old mentor, always seemed to appear at just the right moments. They had first met when he was in 7th grade and in danger of failing in math. Mia had been recommended to him as an in-school tutor, and she'd pulled him up from his rock bottom grades. They had become very close friends, and she was like his guardian angel, in a way.

"It's been such a long time, Mia. How's the university?" Phoenix asked excitedly, turning to face her. Mia had graduated high school last year, and they hadn't seen each other for the entire summer, so he had really missed her.

"Haha, I've never been busier, but it's a lot of fun, too, and I've met a lot of new people," she answered, smiling at him in her mysterious way. "Right now I'm on a short break, and I couldn't pass up the chance to visit you and my old high school. You know, I can't believe this is my first time at the host club. Sorry I wasn't able to visit you here last year, Phoenix." Mia said regretfully.

"Learn much about the law yet?" Phoenix asked curiously. As an only child, the only career option open to him was to take over his father's company, so it was interesting to him how Mia was paving her own path towards becoming a defense attorney, instead of becoming the master of the Kurain House.

"Yes, they jump straight into the material, and now I already have a six page paper to write about basic rights," Mia answered with a slight trace of complaint. "But it's important for me to know as much as possible in order to protect defendants in the future, so the faster they teach, the more I'll learn."

"Haha, I wish I could feel as passionate about my future. But, well… I guess having mine already decided for me by someone else makes it unexciting," Phoenix sighed. On the other hand, having a predetermined path provided a sense of safety. He couldn't imagine how much bravery it took for Mia to break away from hers, but he had no doubt that Mia would succeed with her fierce determination. Phoenix had to admit that he was a bit envious of that, in an admiring way.

"You can never be too sure about the future, Phoenix. That's my little piece of advice to you," Mia replied humorously. "So is there anything else of particular interest here? I had no idea the host club was really a museum."

"Ah, no, it's not really like this usually. Next week we'll have our annual auction. We raise money in order to fund the club independently from the school," he explained. At least he knew that much without having to make anything up.

"Alright, I'll look out for anything I like," Mia replied with amusement. The pair strolled among the display cases, peering inside them.

"You know, Phoenix, Maya keeps complaining lately that you're turning into an old man," Mia commented offhandedly. Phoenix's head whirled around to her in shock. Did Maya really think that of him? Really, he was only about a year older. It wasn't fair. "Something about how she has to drag your 'creaking joints' to go anywhere nowadays," Mia laughed.

"Oh, yeah, the other day she was really insistent on going to the Steel Samurai Festival, and I guess I should've known better than to say no, because we all know how obsessed she is with it," he laughed jokingly.

"But apparently it's the first request Maya's gotten you to accept in a while… Usually I get a lot more complaints from you about how Maya forced you into 'yet another hair-brained plot'," she said, smiling with mirth.

Had it… really been so noticeable? He hoped the sisters were both exaggerating. He hadn't meant to neglect Maya, he just didn't seem to have as much energy as of late…

"Ahaha, I guess I've just been so bogged down by homework and club activities lately. Math is admittedly a lot harder without your help, Mia," Phoenix explained. Hopefully Mia wouldn't realize that there was a specific person at club who was the source of all his troubles… But really, why did he even bother with the guy again? It wasn't as if his efforts were making any difference.

"Hmm… math is giving you trouble again? I wish I could be here to help you with that…" Mia asked, brushing her hair to the side as she looked at him. "Though I heard that my old rival from math team is a friend of yours in this host club. Why don't you try asking Miles Edgeworth for tutoring?" Phoenix nearly jumped out of his skin. Was it coincidence that Mia would mention the very person he didn't want to talk about while asking after his problems?

"I'll… think about it," he replied casually. "We're not really on the best of terms, though. You see, I'm carrying on your legacy in a way, because he's _my _rival too, in a hosting sense." He grinned cheekily. Mia pursed her lips with a frown.

"Is he bothering you? Why don't you try a bit of flattery? They say that opens many doors," she suggested playfully, though her advice didn't make _that _much sense to Phoenix.

"Well I've tried being friendly, he just keeps brushing me off," Phoenix grumbled. Anti-social jerk.

"Well, what did you say to him? Edgeworth really does come across as cold and ruthless, but he wouldn't just respond… impolitely for no reason," Mia questioned, infallibly believing that there must be a reason behind everything.

"I… well, maybe I pissed him off somehow, long ago…" he finally admitted with reluctance. "We knew each other before you met him back in junior high. We were… best friends before, even."

"Oh Phoenix, I'm so sorry…" Mia expressed, taking his hand comfortingly. "What do you think caused you two to part ways?"

"Mia, please… it's all in the past, and what's done is done. Let's just leave it alone," he smiled, trying to mask his pain.

_I'm sorry I have to dredge up old memories, _Mia thought regretfully, _but I must get to the bottom of this so I can help you. _

"Tell me," Mia commanded, glaring into his eyes. "I know this is what has been bothering you for all this time… why you were such a troubled kid through junior high."

"No, it's not- why would I be so hung up on losing a single friend?" Phoenix countered. "I was just not smart enough to keep up with my classmates, and that's why I wasn't exactly happy those years…"

"I'm not entirely convinced that losing his friendship was so insignificant… I remember, that Edgeworth's father died suddenly around that time, before we met in junior high. That must have been the start of Edgeworth shutting everyone out, wasn't it? And… you were probably hurt because he treated you as he did everyone else, even though you had been his best friend."

Phoenix averted his eyes completely.

"Mia… Please don't… Don't just put words in my mouth…" He sighed. "It's not like that at all. It's true, he pushed Larry and me away around the time he lost his father, but, I'm really bitter because I wasn't able to do a _thing _to help him."

Somewhere, there was the distant sound of shattering glass, followed by a string of curses in a foreign language. Phoenix found himself completely flustered by the jarring sound, already distracted after having admitted his deepest insecurity.

"Phoenix… listen to your heart. Whatever you do, don't give up on Edgeworth. If anyone can help him, it's you. People are most hurt by the ones who mean the most to them, so I don't believe your words are falling on deaf ears," Mia assured him with determination, and Phoenix felt more hopeful than he had in years.

"I- thanks, I feel a lot better now, now that I've finally let out my worry. I won't let him down this time, you can count on it," Phoenix answered spiritedly.

"Don't ever forget that I'm here to help you, either. This isn't a one-man battle. You have many friends who are ready to support you at any time," Mia reminded him. "In fact… that's why Maya has been so worried about you… because you were pushing people away from yourself, just like Edgeworth."

"Ah! I hadn't realized that was what I'd ended up doing," the host exclaimed in surprise. He felt a little sheepish about following Edgeworth into exactly the same scenario.

"Haha, come on, Pheonix," she laughed. They walked along in better spirits, feeling more confident about the future.

-AHC-

"You've wandered into the wrong territory, Trite. Make your way back home before the tiger loses his patience…" Phoenix inwardly groaned. Not _him_ again. It was just his luck to have his mood ruined almost instantly. It seemed like he spent every day at the host club running into confrontations with one host or another.

"Truce. I'm just passing through with a guest," Phoenix said defensively. The white tiger smirked at him dangerously, hinting at indolent power with a flash of his teeth.

"Next time you can just leave the guests to professionals like me," he purred. Phoenix hissed involuntarily. He hated what a smarmy bastard the oldest host insisted on being. Just because he had about half a year of experience over Phoenix didn't make him superior.

Before he could retort, Godot was taking the hand of a skeptical Mia and showing her his steamiest grin. He loved making "his kittens" swoon, even if he tended to disappear on them often.

"Forgive me for not giving you the attention every little kitten deserves, I was a bit preoccupied giving the other host a few words of advice," he said, lightly placing a kiss on her hand. "Why don't you lose him and come with a man who really knows about the wonders being presented here today?"

"I'd appreciate if you didn't treat my friend like that, Mr…"

"Godot… Just Godot."

"Right. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have a tour of this area," Mia replied. She looked at him with intrigue, but slipped her hand from his. Godot's grin fell. "I'd like for Phoenix to come along too, if you don't mind."

Godot inclined his head, regarding her wryly. "Well… at least you're loyal to _someone_, I'll give you that," he said to himself quietly.

"Have we… met before?" Mia asked hesitantly, narrowing her eyes troublingly.

"Once upon a time, in a past life, kitten," he smiled.

"Haha, maybe."

Phoenix had been trying to keep up with their exchange with a blank expression on his face, but he snapped to attention at that. Mia knew better than anyone what happened in the afterlife, so he decided right then and there to live as virtuously as possible, because he didn't want karma to get at him in the next life.

But the host quickly snapped out of his worries when he realized that Godot was steering Mia off in another direction without him. Hastily he shuffled over to catch up.

"Well, this old spear is rather wicked looking," Mia was commenting. She was rubbing her chin while examining this wooden staff with a curved bronze blade affixed to one end. It was decorated with a swirled wing pattern etched into the metal surface. Godot tipped his head back and regarded it with a smirk.

"This spear was once the extension of a fierce Zheng Fa warrior around 1000 BCE," he explained thoughtfully, before adding, "Don't even think about it. Wolf Boy snaps up every artifact we ever sell from Zheng Fa, probably to preserve the culture of his small home country. It's not worth the fight, ever." Phoenix sweatdropped. Half the hosts were definitely crazier than he was.

"I see…" Mia replied uncertainly. "Um, this looks interesting!" She quickly redirected the conversation to a tapestry depicting a phoenix fighting a tiger.

"That doesn't look familiar at all," she chuckled to Phoenix. He scowled at her. She may think Godot making fun of him was funny, but she should really try stepping in his shoes to see how she liked getting attacked every day for no reason.

"And what's this?" Mia asked, pointing to a little statuette on a marble mount. Godot lifted the piece out for her to see.

"This is a miniature of the Thinker Statue. It actually doubles as a clock," he explained smoothly and expertly, pushing down on the man's head. They waited for several seconds, but nothing seemed to change. "Funny, this clock supposedly says the time out loud when its switch is pressed. Guess it's broken. In any case, this clock is very rare, only two exist in the world."

"Only two? That's unusually exclusive," Phoenix remarked. Godot turned the clock over in his hands, thinking about it silently.

"Why _are _there only two? What's the story behind it?" Mia asked.

"Well, it's the curious story of two lovers. A once famous artist fashioned matching pairs of these clocks, giving one to the woman of his admirations to win her heart. And so they became lovers… but their happiness was not to last long. A short time later, the woman left suddenly on a trip without explanation. The artist suffered, not knowing why she had left. Eventually, she returned, but before she could reunite with the artist, she was stopped on the road by bandits and _murdered_."

"Somehow, the woman's clock went missing, and try as he might, the artist could not find it in her home or on her person. In agony, the artist eventually passed away, never knowing the truth."

"So what did happen? What if she had taken the clock with her and had it stolen by the bandits?" Mia demanded emphatically.

"Mm, that's the thing. No one knows. Some say that she had the clock to remind her of the artist, … and others say that she threw the clock away… but no one will ever find out now. They are all long dead, after all."

"Secrets may be buried with their owners, but anything can be found out if one knows how to ask properly."

"But not everyone will ask those crucial questions, will they?" Godot returned scathingly. It earned him a strange glance from Mia in a passing moment that was gone before it could be acknowledged. Mia looked down at the clock once more, as if scrutinizing its very essence.

"Were you perhaps interested in this clock, Miss?" Godot asked politely. Mia looked up at the man, where his eyes should have been.

"Ah, no, I was just thinking. Thank you for the fascinating back story, Mr. Godot, I'm afraid I must go home now," she replied formally, falsely apathetic, but her eyes were searching… always seeing beyond the obvious. "It was nice meeting you," she finished warmly, allowing herself to smile a little.

"Likewise. I hope we may meet again, Ms. Fey…" he replied in hushed tones as he drew away into the throng of guests, smiling impressionably as he went. Mia stared after the host, grin lingering in her memory like the lasting smile of a Cheshire Cat.

Phoenix blinked after them in surprise. People had better not tell him that Mia of all people had just fallen for Godot. She just wasn't the type of person to even really put up with Godot's type.

"Ph-Phoenix, I have to go home now… There's something I must find out…" she mumbled distractedly.

"Alright, Mia, you do what you have to," he replied, flashing her the cheesy grin he used whenever he wanted to cheer Maya up. "It was nice seeing you again. Don't forget to visit!" Mia smiled back.

"I won't, Phoenix," she replied affectionately, giving him a tight hug. Phoenix froze at that and blushed heavily. Being hugged by Mia was not something for the weak of mind.

"Take this. If anything happens, it will help you find the truth and guide you onto the right path again. The Magatama is an important Fey clan artifact, and some day it has to go to the next channeling master, so make sure you guard it in return," she said pointedly. Basically, if Phoenix lost it or the Magatama somehow didn't make it to Maya, then he'd be in deep trouble with the entire family, and some of the relatives could be downright _scary_. Mia smiled coyly at him again, satisfied that she'd scared him into safeguarding it enough. She turned away and walked off with a wave before the hapless host could gather his thoughts enough to say anything other than a dazed "bye".

After she had gone, Phoenix stared at his hand, clasping a strange glowing green stone. It almost seemed alive, humming with energy. He had seen this kind of amulet often enough. It was the same shape and size as the pendants worn by every member of the Fey Clan, carved into the shape of half of a Yin Yang symbol. However, this stone that Mia had just handed him was different. Closing his fingers over the Magatama again, he carefully slid it into his blazer pocket.

-AHC-

Finally, Ema was finished with her lab questions. She was still annoyed that Edgeworth had made her come work in an inconvenient place like this, but there was a bright side to it. Edgeworth had remembered to stop by her table every few minutes as he had promised, and because he had to keep leaving, it prevented Ema from having to deal with him the entire time, along with the unpleasant feelings that came with being in his presence.

She stuffed all of her books into her disorganized messenger bag and made to leave. Ema's intention was to go home right away, but she couldn't help but become curious about the items being sold. Not that she would buy anything when the money went to support flippant womanizers.

But wow, there was even antique technology for sale. Ema followed the line of the display cases, admiring the old telephones, clocks and strange geared mechanisms. Lost in her thoughts again, Ema failed to evade the other girl coming around the corner and bumped into her.

"Oh! …Why, Ema, what a surprise… I didn't think you were the type to frequent the host club," Ema froze. She knew she was moody most of the time, and that it wasn't a quality that won her a lot of friends. People tended to get nervous around her, particularly when she was eating or had anything in her hands, and for good reason; Ema had deadly good aim. But she didn't care what people thought of her. She preferred having peace and quiet over having to conform to social niceties any day.

"It's not like I'm here by choice," Ema grumbled in response to the other girl. "I was made to work with Mr. Edgeworth for a lab, and this is the only time he's available to help me with homework… I was just about to leave, in fact."

"Then you are very generous with your own time," Elaine, the tall girl remarked good naturedly. Ema scowled and muttered 'whatever'. The girl was just trying to make up for her image of politeness after being shocked by Ema's abrupt appearance and collision.

"So, Ema, is this your first time at the host club?" Great. She was trying to make conversation now. What a great way for Ema to spend her time, chatting emptily under social restrictions.

"…Yeah, this isn't really the kind of place I ever imagined myself being in," Ema answered rather forlornly. She looked away, staring at some old freaky cracked dolls that were in a display case off to the side to hide her glum expression. She never thought she'd end up spending time with Mr. Edgeworth under circumstances like this.

"Then you're not familiar with any of the hosts here, are you?" Ema shook her head. Elaine tipped her head to the side, thinking of stories she could interest Ema Skye with.

"Oh, did Elizabeth tell you about what we learned about Mr. Edgeworth the other day?" she asked, hitting on something juicy. Ema sighed. She wasn't really into gossip, and she really wanted to leave so she could catch Bill Nye the Science Guy on TV. The girl caught Ema's sigh and insisted, "Don't be like that, this only goes to prove that Miles Edgeworth is the host with the deepest character."

Ema raised her eyebrow as Elaine and her friends nodded in agreement.

"Deep character…? How so?" Elaine smiled, finally seeing Ema getting into their conversation.

"Rebecca, you were there too, so you should tell Ema the story," she insisted.

"Alright, then! Ema, have you heard about Mr. Edgeworth's reasons for becoming a host?" Rebecca asked, turning to the girl enthusiastically. Maybe Rebecca was into scandals or something.

"Huh. Is it because he wants to steal the hearts of girls and become the school heartthrob?" Ema sniffed resentfully.

"Um, no, it's actually something a lot different. A few days ago, the host club was holding a game where the rule was that everyone who loses has to answer questions truthfully, so Elizabeth and I took the opportunity to ask Mr. Edgeworth why he's here," Rebecca explained. Ema raised her eyebrow at that. Wasn't that just a simple game of truth or dare?

"And then this _pained _expression came over his noble features, like it was the greatest weight on his steadfast shoulders…" Rebecca declared dramatically. Every girl but Ema leaned closer in anticipation. "He said… 'I am here as an apology… because I broke the heart of a lady and hope to atone for my crime by serving the rest of womankind!'"

The girls gasped and one was even moved to tears by Rebecca's skillful, yet dramatized, reenactment of Edgeworth's confession. Ema's eyes were wide open.

"Is… is that all true…?" she rasped, her lip quivering. She looked away sharply.

"Ema… are you alright?" Elaine asked, moving forwards to place a comforting hand on Ema's shoulder. Ema shook it off.

"Wh-who could believe something like _that_?!" she demanded angrily. Unable to take it anymore, she turned on her heel and stormed off in the direction of the exit, ignoring the concerned calls of the girls she left behind.

_Broke the heart of a lady? Atonement?! _Surely he was faking his expression, hiding a smirk beneath his hand as he reeled in more girls with his fabricated story. Ema was outraged, hurt. What had she ever done to deserve having her feelings toyed with to this degree? Wasn't it enough after the first time?

Did he even mean _her_ specifically? But, what if… What if it was true…?

Ema shook her head fiercely, perishing the thoughts of hope, letting them burn out in the clubroom as she left the threshold.

* * *

A/N: Uh, okay, this story is definitely set in Japan, same location as the Ouran Host Club, but to make my life easier, I'm only using idioms and names in English XP They ARE speaking Japanese, though. …*fail*

…loool if you didn't realize, I actually put in an attempt at what it might be like on the receiving end of a Magatama interrogation. Not going to throw physical evidence around, because that would be a little awkward, and I really hope it wasn't too rushed or anything… I _did_ try to make a backwards reference to Trucy in that convo, because I think there's a line of ideas going from Diego Armando to Apollo, and Phoenix definitely teaches Trucy to think like him too (stepladder…)

Sorry if this was slow, trying to get back into the swing of things DX

Auction event, because wtf was supposed to happen with the vase Haruhi broke, anyway?! Shouldn't there have been more auction items or something? Bit of followup from me lol


End file.
